Five New Additions To The ’24 Rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The new and (somewhat) improved rankings for the class of '24 were released earlier today, and there were 40 (!!!) new athletes I saw that needed to be seen. Here are my favorite five, along with a little something about each.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='371988' first='Taeley' last='Mahler'], 6-1 OH, Homestead, Empowered</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like Homestead needs <em>another</em> big on a pin, amiright? Taeley is an absolute hammer from either pin, but looks to be most comfortable on the left. Strong and broad-shouldered, she'd be an excellent pickup for someone needing either a three rotation hammer or a passing outside that can hold her own in the back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='371989' first='Audrey' last='Hudson'], 5-10 OH, Bishop Dwenger, Empowered</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Recognize that last name? Older sister Eva just finished her epic first season at Purdue this past fall, and Audrey is cut from the same cloth. Relentless from both the front and back rows, Audrey is quick and springy to the ball. She even pounds out some topspin jump serves for aces on a regular basis. Size should not matter for this young lady, and I'm sure there are a ton of programs that could use a primary-passing six-rotation outside that they could plug and play immediately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='371990' first='Layla' last='Gonzales'], 5-4 DS/L, Burris, Munciana</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Already the 'bro for blue blood program Muncie Burris, Layla spent this past season as the left-back queen for Munciana's Pandas, the 17-1 squad. She's quick, anticipates well, can cover a ton of ground on off-speed shots, and is never out of position. Everyone needs a passer. How about one that's been doing it at the highest level for years?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='217749' first='Gabriella' last='Woltman'], 6-0 Pin, Munster, Michio Chicago</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From The Region, Miss Woltman has probably the fastest arm on this list. She gets up quick, hits every angle with pace, and has a passion and fire rarely seen from kids these days. I've seen a ton of her play on the right side, but she could be a three rotation on either pin at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='380077' first='Lilly' last='Tucker'], 5-7 DS/L, Westfield, Grand Park</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing for a regional squad is hard. Not a lot of publicity, not a lot of travel, so therefore not a lot of opportunity. Let it be known that Lilly is more than capable of being the special jersey at a small school near you. She's consistent in serve receive, solid on defense, and plays high school ball in the toughest volleyball conference and sectional in the state. What more can you ask?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->