Unified 17-1 2023 Club Profile

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing has been certain for Unified 17-1 in the early parts of the 2023 club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team isn't going to go down easy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unified has been winning its fair share this year, but the losses have also been impressive performances that have come down to the narrowest margins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a closer look at this promising squad for the club year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Unified 17-1</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":264873,"width":288,"height":204,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/138-Kora-Nicolanti.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-264873" width="288" height="204" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='219684' first='Kora' last='Nicolanti']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richard Wootten-Smith is the head coach of 17-1 this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team does feature one 2025 prospect, which is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288955' first='Mya' last='Kattula']. </strong>The RS/Setter had a breakout fall with the Notre Dame Prep program where she compiled 304 kills, 468 assists, 160 digs, 54 blocks and 58 aces. Kattula can impact the game anywhere and she's still got a lot of room for growth as a player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='500643' first='Mia' last='Cibor']</strong> is the other setting option for the team. She ran the Orchard Lake St. Mary's offense this past fall and helped the Eaglets win a CHSL title. She is accustomed to working and developing young hitters, so her experience has been valuable for Unified.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17-1 features plenty of talented outsides. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523642' first='Natalie' last='Petrucci']</strong>, <strong>Kaitlyn Weiss</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219684' first='Kora' last='Nicolanti']</strong> are all OH options, while <strong>Claire Bemis</strong> is a OPP.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Petrucci has been a steady and consistent presence for the Bloomfield Hills program and brings her mix of skills to the outside for Unified. She's got a real pop on her attacks, but is also smooth with her defensive play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nicolanti also comes from the Bloomfield Hills program and recently made a nice splash at the Prep Dig Michigan Top 250 Expo in December. Nicolanti has great improve skills on the court and is able to make plays at the net or in the back row with her quick instincts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weiss comes from the Oxford program and she's a hitter that can get hot quickly. When she's in her groove, she's able to string together finishes and becomes a dominant force. Weiss has a nice mix of power and offspeed shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bemis comes from Eisenhower and is a nice compliment on the right side. She has shown improvement on her shot selection and timing over the last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":264867,"width":287,"height":211,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/130-Hailey-Jones.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-264867" width="287" height="211" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='261158' first='Hailey' last='Jones']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the middle, Unified 17-1 has <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='500649' first='Gabrielle' last='Gippert'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261158' first='Hailey' last='Jones']</strong>. Gippert is a 6'3” middle from Bloomfield Hills. Her length is definitely imposing and she's developing her footwork and movement to be able to utilize that size advantage even more. Jones doesn't have the same length at 5'11”, but she's very active at the net and is able to deliver a lot of power on her swings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, <strong>Jenna Miller </strong>and <strong>Larkin Mielke </strong>are the two primary defenders for 17-1. Miller has been with the Oxford program and is a quick-moving DS that has a lot of communication skills to direct the defensive traffic. Mielke is a defender from the OLSM program. She's a player that's had to take on a lot of power hitters in the CHSL, forcing her to grow quickly on the court. That experience has led to a lot of confidence. Both Miller and Mielke have been a force from the service line as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unified 17-1 is sitting around a .500 mark thus far on the season, but there has been some promising results while mixing in the Open and Premier divisions of events.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most recently it finished ninth in the 17/18 Open of the Battle of the Ohio Valley last weekend. At one point, Unified strung together four straight wins, all by sweeps. That included three sets where Unified went past 25 points in order to win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team is grinding out some tough victories and that experience in those close sets are going to pay off for the team as they continue to develop. There's a lot of nice balance with this roster and they can attack in a variety of ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->