Early Bird Shootout: Available Players, Part 1

<p>It felt like forever, but we made it to our first tournament of the club season. This Sunday, at over 40 courts throughout central Indiana, the Early Bird Shootout kicks off the club season in the Hoosier region. In the next few days, we'll release a couple of articles emphasizing available athletes in the '23 and '24 graduating classes. We'll also let people know where to find them. In today's edition, all six of these teams can be found at Capitol Sports Center in Plainfield, starting at 0930. Here we go!</p>   <h2>Circle City 18 Purple, Court 5</h2>   <p>Although the great majority of this squad has made their college commitments, there are still a couple of solid athletes available for someplace to play next fall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85922' first='Josie' last='Nobbe'] ('23, 6-0 OH, Greensburg)</strong> is a heavy-armed pin attacker that could probably play right side as well, but we'll list her as an outside for now. She has a high contact point, shows a quick arm, and can terminate plays regularly. Another available player is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85912' first='Macy' last='Bruton'] ('23, 5-10 DS, Crawfordsville). </strong>I list her as a DS in this capacity because that's most likely where her future lies at the collegiate level, not to mention the fact that that's the position she plays for this roster. However, if you're looking for a live arm that's averaged over five kills per set for the four years she played outside for her high school team, she's your girl. </p>   <h2>Rev 17-1 Raptors, Court 5</h2>   <p>Being that this portion of the tournament is the top 17/18 division for the day, we expect to see 1s teams throughout. The Raptors are definitely that, and the best part is that only two players show committed to playing anywhere in the fall of '24. One of the athletes still available is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='191070' first='Lucy' last='Kay'] ('24, 6-2 MB, Fishers).</strong> Long and lean, Lucy is a terminator from the middle that can defend from pin to pin with the best of them. On the other end of the height spectrum is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='112088' first='Katie' last='Smith'] ('24, 5-2 DS/L, Roncalli), </strong>who I've been high on for years. Her ability to anticipate and use her foot speed to her advantage makes her a no-doubt defender for the class of '24.</p>   <h2>Rev 18-1 Avengers, Court 6</h2>   <p>The flagship team for Rev are the Avengers, featuring a ton of available talent. Two of my favorites on this roster include <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85900' first='Faith' last='Burch'] ('23, 5-11 S/RS, Roncalli), </strong>a thumping lefty who can set in a pinch if needed. To be honest, she does both skills at a high level, so I would not be surprised if she commits to do both somewhere. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='210178' first='Elizabeth' last='Phillips'] ('23, 6-1 MB, Brebeuf)</strong> is a tall and strong middle for a state championship squad ('21). I like her in the M2, since her ability to attack off of two feet is at such a high level. She's also a solid net defender, and uses her length better than most when blocking.</p>   <h2>Union 17-1 UA, Court 6</h2>   <p>A pair of my favorite Providence Pioneers dot this roster, who just came off of a state championship run this past fall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='210180' first='Lilly' last='Tappel'] ('24, 5-10 OH, Providence)</strong> can be a six-rotation passer for any team that needs one, especially one that can put balls away regularly. On the other pin, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143807' first='Makenzie' last='Wagner'] ('24, 5-10 RS, Providence)</strong> is a lefty banger that can hit from anywhere, defend from anywhere else, and does nothing but win for any team she's ever played for.</p>   <h2>Circle City 17 Purple, Court 6</h2>   <p>Rounding out our three-team pool on court 6 is the top class-of-'24 team from the host squad. There are quite a few on this roster that have made their college commitments, but a couple remain that should garner attention from the higher-ups as the club season progresses. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110489' first='Alexis' last='Maesch'] ('24, 5-11 RS, Avon)</strong> is a hammering lefty who takes up more space than her height dictates and can take over a match if you let her. I'm also a fan of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110492' first='Scarlett' last='Kimbrell'] ('24, 6-0 MB/OH, Franklin Community).</strong> I'm listing her in both positions in this article because she's played both positions at some time in her career full-time. For now, Scarlett should be a middle on this roster, but those recruiting her should know that she can do both.</p>   <h2>Union 18-1 UA, Court 7</h2>   <p>The lone Indiana-based team on Court 7 at Capitol is the flagship team from Union. There's talent oozing from every position on this roster, but what surprises me are the kids that are still available. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='118341' first='Alexis' last='Caldwell'] ('23, 6-1 OH, New Albany)</strong> is a big and strong outside that could probably play both pins at any college she attends, and has a high volleyball IQ. Speaking of high volleyball IQ, look no further than <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85908' first='Caroline' last='Hilbrich'] ('23, 5-10 OH/DS, Floyd Central), </strong>who lists herself as a DS on her twitter page, but has spent the great majority of her career as an outside for her high school and club teams. She's also brilliant in the outdoor game, and it wouldn't surprise me if she goes down that path in the spring of '24 for a beach team near you.</p>

It felt like forever, but we made it to our first tournament of the club season. This Sunday, at over 40 courts throughout central Indiana, the Early Bird Shootout kicks off the club season in the Hoosier region. In the next few days, we'll release a couple of articles emphasizing available athletes in the '23 and '24 graduating classes. We'll also let people know where to find them. In today's edition, all six of these teams can be found at Capitol Sports Center in Plainfield, starting at 0930. Here we go!