What 2026 Athletes Are Off To a Fast Start This Club Season?
We blinked and January was gone. The first month of the 2023 club season is in the books and already the Class of 2026 is starting to make names for themselves. However with these freshmen in high school, some of…
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Continue ReadingWe blinked and January was gone. The first month of the 2023 club season is in the books and already the Class of 2026 is starting to make names for themselves. However with these freshmen in high school, some of them don’t always play with their age group. Many will end up playing up depending on what their club needs and where they best fit. I was able to attend three very different events in this past month with the Windy City 18s Qualifier, Prep Dig Resolution, and Central Zone in Indianapolis. Here are some 2026’s that are making a fast start in the month of January.
Peyton Carson – FC Elite 18 Elite (Title Photo)
At Prep Dig, sometimes it takes us a minute to piece it all together when athletes are playing up. Carlson is at 15s playing at the 18s level, she is the libero for FC Elite 18 Elite which has been the spot for Wisconsin commit and Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, Saige Damrow the past three years on that team. She’s making the transition to libero after being named MVP of the FC Elite 16 Navy team who won the 16 National Division at USAV this past July. Teams went after Carlson, she got her heavy dose of high level serve receive reps. She held her own, and its only January. She’s going to get better each time she steps on the court, what is most impressive is her mindset where she has no fear of going up against the best competition possible.
Kendall Bosse and Gabby Semona – Tri State Elite 15 Blue
Tri-State had a great weekend as a club. Their teams were fighting for top spots in gold and had a lot of wins in a matter of two days. For the 15 Blue squad, they had a heavy dose of middle blocking presence with Bosse and Semona. The two have to be touching nearly ten feet and their type of athletic style is very physical and fast twitch. They can play high above the next and can attack in a variety of ways. They are another set of athletes who play with no fear, they are aggressive and can beat teams with their quick twitch style and fast arms.
Elli Strecker – Team Indiana 15-1 Elite
Strecker stood out right away for me on the Team Indiana court in gold bracket play at Central Zone this past Sunday. Yes, she’s 6’3 so she has the length. However, it was how she was able to transition out of the block and get in position to attack. I hear a lot of parents say, “My daughter is a middle and she never gets set”. I just listen and nod, but the real question is, “Does she work to get in position to be available to attack?” Strecker does – and then some. She is relentless along the net and it’s hard not to set someone who is demanding the ball with her eagerness and positive body language. This will be a team to watch this upcoming 2023 season.
Elle Schara – Michio 15 National
Schara is the outside hitter who can do a lot of positive things for her team. She can handle a heavy volume of serve receive and can quickly transition from passing to attacking. She previously was a libero/ds until a recent growth spurt has sent her to the front row where she is another athlete who can swing with aggression. With her approach and swing, she is fast to the ball and reaches high to get the highest contact possible. This Michio team will be a competitor in the Great Lakes Region that will be very even in the 2023 season. They had a strong start at Central Zone with a Gold Bracket appearance.
Ella Andrews and Kayla Nwabueze – Legacy 15-1 Adidas
I’m not sure there was a better 1-2 punch at Central Zone with these two middle blockers for legacy. Andrews is 6’3 and Nwabueze is 6’2, both are extremely coordinated and play aggressively at the net. Nwabueze has the ability to six pack some defenders with her fast swing that is extremely heavy, she celebrates with a huge smile of emotion that is contagious for her teammates. Andrews has a major upside where she has a big presence as a blocker and makes the other side think twice about attacking her hands. Legacy dropped a tough match to TVC out of Toledo, but I still think they will be one of the top 15s in the country this season.
Allie Beers – MKE Sting 16 Gold
The highlight to Beers’ game is her athleticism and physicality. She is really strong running a quick tempo in the middle, but is also a scary matchup when she attacks off one foot – so dynamic. She has been brought up to the Sting 16 Gold team who recently finished in the final four of Central Zone after a close loss to Circle City in the semifinals. This team is going to play a lot of important gold bracket matches over the next couple months and Beers, like most athletes on this team, can be used in a variety of ways to contribute to this squad.
Audrey Dyas – NKYVC 15 Tsunami
Like most NKYVC squads, this team’s greatest strength is that they have very little weakness. They have elite ball control, their setters give their hitters a chance, the pins have a mix of shots, and the middles are always involved. Audrey Dyas was one of the top middles in the 15s age group with NKYVC. I was so impressed with her athleticism and speed. At 6’1, she has the height and length to make her presence known, but her overall skillset is very advanced among the 15 Open teams. She is always there, a major frustration for the other side of the net. Her setters aren’t afraid to set her even if they are pulled off the net a little bit, she will find a way to get it done. This will be a team to watch up coming at Triple Crown in a couple weeks.
Boiler Juniors 15 Gold
It’s really tough to focus on only one or two players. This is a complete team across all positions where they have multiple attackers who can put the ball away and Lexi Shondell who can do it all as a setter finding the open matchup. They have won multiple national titles at the AAU level and are consistently a day three gold team when it comes to USA Qualifier. With their tempo, ball control, and balance they are going to be a tough out.
Sidney Sprada – Elevation 15 Tony
Elevation was an exciting team to watch this past weekend at Central Zone with a lot of length. Sprada was a springy pin with an active arm where she can attack from anywhere. She has a high contact point which allows for her to hit over the block and mix in some shots as well. Whether it’s using the block, going hard cross, line, or swinging on the right side out of serve receives, she’s going to find a way to score points.
Hayden Rodriguez and Katelyn Pahl – Toledo Volleyball Club 15 Black
This might have been one of the more exciting matches of the tournament when TVC pulled the upset of Legacy in the first round of the 15 Open gold bracket on Sunday, winning set two 34-32. Hayden Rodriguez was a key cog in the machine as the teams setter where she had such a great feel for the game in regards to finding the hot hitter. She also had great footwork, remaining neutral with so many positive intangibles. One of the hot hitters for her was Katelyn Pahl on the right side. The lefty was a tough match up Legacy as she continued to swing big in clutch moments.
Cala Haffner and Sophia Gisslen – Team Pineapple 15 Black LJ
Team Pineapple was another gold bracket squad at Central Zone this past weekend and they did it with solid ball control and a balanced attack. The first two contacts were extremely key coming from libero Cala Haffner and setter Sophia Gisslen. Haffner has great poise on the court where she has a quiet confidence to take the first ball. She can also put up a gorgeous second ball out of system. Gisslen has one of the top setters to ever play the game on the sideline in Lloy Ball. She has great hands, a smooth release, and is developing as a leader on the court being a true quarterback for her team.