Club Preview: NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami
In this article:
This team returns in tact for the 2023 club season following a great run in 2022 that ended with a 5th place finish in the incredibly tough 17 Open division at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships. All nine…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis team returns in tact for the 2023 club season following a great run in 2022 that ended with a 5th place finish in the incredibly tough 17 Open division at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships. All nine prospects have next-level skills and great club and high school experience to bring with them as they face another highly competitive tournament schedule in the coming months. Here are some of their key attributes.
Pin Hitters
This team includes a trio of pins that can share time on both sides of the floor. Alivia Skidmore Alivia Skidmore OH St. Henry | 2024 State #64 Nation KY (St. Henry/Western Kentucky commit), a 2022 KVCA 1st-Team honoree, is a high flyer with a fluid arm. She continues to develop her ability to hit a contact point that is difficult to defend and with a lot of range. She swings with natural pace that can get the ball onto the defense in a hurry. Sydney Barrett Sydney Barrett 6'0" | OH Kings | 2024 State #119 Nation OH (Kings/Denver commit) was the ECC’s Player of the Year and a DI All-Ohio selection for the 2022 high school season as she helped guide Kings to the league crown. She is one of the most versatile attackers on the roster as she can swing at either pin as well as through quick tempos in the middle of the court. Look for her to contribute at times in the ball control phase as she continues to find more consistency in the first-contact aspect well. Lilly Gillespie Lilly Gillespie 5'8" | OH Turpin | 2024 State OH (Turpin/Depaul commit) is the third hitter that has great six-rotation skills. She has good lift and sees the floor well to swing through the full scope of the court with good success. Her skill set contributes well in the serve receive and defensive facets as well, an area this team has potential to excel in every match
Middle Hitters
Julia Hunt Julia Hunt 6'1" | MB Holy Cross (Covington) | 2024 State #11 Nation KY (Holy Cross/Washington commit/*pictured)) was one of the most sought after 2024 prospects in the country with great physicality and USA training. She has the ability to make a huge impact every time she is on the court through the middle phase of the offense, at the pins, and on the defensive side. Hunt can terminate with big power and has the vision and arm control to find space well around the defense at the net. She was a KVCA 1st-Team selection for 2022. Lilly Hamburg Lilly Hamburg 6'0" | MB Conner | 2024 State KY (Conner/Uncommitted) brings some of the best energy to the court for this group and has good terminating ability while providing a big boost on the defensive side as she can apply a lot of pressure to opposing attackers. She complements Hunt’s middle action well and should see increased opportunities to score this club season.
Setters
Abby Yoder Abby Yoder 5'10" | S Kings | 2024 State #101 Nation OH (Kings/Uncommitted) led Kings to the ECC league title as they had the most potent offense that included the two best offensive threats in the conference. She was an all-league performer and was the primary setter for this team a season ago providing good floor leadership and creating good balance and opportunities for the full range of their available arms each tournament. Macy Lentz Macy Lentz 5'10" | S St. Henry | 2024 State KY (St. Henry/Uncommitted) is coming off a solid high school campaign through which she guided the St. Henry offense as the primary setter. She has good athleticism and quickness with the ability to distribute the full range of the court. She was a true utility contributor last club season as she has a complete skill set to terminate at the pins as well as create good opportunities for this offense from serve receive and defense. These two will complement each other well from the setting position to help increase the efficiency and effectiveness in the tempo and variation that should define their offense.
DS/Liberos
Elizabeth Tabeling Elizabeth Tabeling 5'7" | DS/L St. Henry | 2024 State #127 Nation KY (St. Henry/Ball State commit) is one of the best liberos in this class given her court awareness and vision that allows her to make big-time moves on the defensive side. Her preparation allows her to react without hesitation and which leads to good pursuit, range, and angle production to put the setter in a good spot to have multiple offensive options available. Kaleigh Frietch Kaleigh Frietch 5'8" | DS/L St. Ursula | 2024 State OH (St. Ursula/Cincinnati commit) is perhaps the most overlooked part of this team given her role last year as a defensive specialist. As part of the regular rotation each weekend, she was very good at executing in her position and delivering quality touches defensively and in serve receive. She moves well, has great platform control, and continues to develop more pressure at the service line.