Who’s Available In The Class Of ’23? Prez Day StL Edition, Part 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In part two of our preview, we highlight the teams and top players available in the class of '23. These three teams (and six athletes) can all be found in the 18 Premier division this weekend. Listed below are their courts and times for Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Circle City 18 White, Court 51 at 1430 on Saturday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a couple of athletic studs still available for the fall of 2023 on this roster. Leading the way is setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85949' first='Kelsie' last='Hankins'] ('23, 5-8 S, jersey #11).</strong> Her ability to get to, handle, and locate sets to all of her hitters keeps her team competitive in every point. I like her all-around game as well, as she plays defense at an above average level for a setter in this class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='85950' first='Shelby' last='Clements'] ('23, 5-7 OH, jersey #1)</strong> is another to watch with this squad. Her live and heavy arm, along with her fearless attack, should place her at a smaller school next fall. She can also be a primary passing outside or a three rotation defender at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Academy 18E Fury, Court 53 at 1530 on Saturday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The "2s" team for Academy has its fair share of athletes as well. A little younger overall than your average 18s team, it is no surprise that there are already four kids committed to play at the next level. However, <strong>Samantha Luttell ('23, 5-6 S, jersey #32)</strong> is still available to sign, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='149837' first='Taylor' last='Ridge'] ('23, 5-8 MB, jersey #36)</strong> is a hybrid athlete who could play multiple positions in college. I especially like Samantha's footwork to get to a ton of balls and her ability to always find the right attacker in the right situation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Metro VBC 18 Pink, Court 54 at 1430 on Saturday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One court over from that Academy team is the southernmost Indiana club coming to President's Day in Saint Louis. Based in Evansville, this group regularly gets lost in the shuffle of highly competitive teams in Indiana. I think this squad prides themselves on being the underdogs, and have a ton of multisport talent on this roster. I'm especially fond of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='106453' first='Brooklyn' last='Summers'] ('23, 5-3 S/DS, jersey #1).</strong> She plays much bigger than her 5-3 frame suggests and is a full-go, no-quit setter that makes all passes (good and bad) hittable. <strong>Lauren Richardson ('23, 5-3 DS/L, jersey #4)</strong> has been the libero on every travel team she's ever played on, and has a ton of experience and athleticism to go with the special jersey. I'm intrigued to see what this pair of spitfires can do this weekend to up their stock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->