Summer League At Academy: Court 5 And Other Notes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the changes in the IHSAA rules this year, summer leagues have seen a change in number of play dates and different teams playing at different sites. Last night, three teams I haven't covered in a while took Court 5 by storm. Here are a few thoughts and athletes that will impact how they play in the fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lebanon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Probably the most intriguing of the three at Court 5 were the Tigers of Lebanon. Limping through the season last fall to 11-15, it would be appropriate to assume that more of the same could be expected. What a pleasant surprise to see their play---and their talent---improve at such a high level. Senior outside <strong>Sydnie Starkey ('24, 5-11 OH)</strong> looks to be the go-to for the fall, and as a primary passer, she should never come out of any match. <strong>Ava Susong ('25, 5-4 DS/L)</strong> is deadly from behind the baseline and was an anchor in left back as the 'bro. She also saw time in middle back as a three rotation DS, where she could anticipate and roam more in a read-and-react capacity. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443871' first='Kinley' last='Young'] ('27, 6-1 MB)</strong> is a long and lean M2 who brings much-needed size to the Tigers, and had moments in each of their matches last night to take over on both offense and defense. She's an excellent #2 attacking option behind Sydnie. Finally, DS <strong>Mya Nelson ('27, 5-5 DS/L)</strong> had her moments as well serving tough, receiving serve well and defending at an above-average level. I look forward to seeing more of her at the Freshman Showcase at Academy on Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Greenfield-Central</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a conference that includes Yorktown, Delta, Mount Vernon, New Palestine, Pendleton Heights and New Castle, the Hoosier Heritage conference is a rough one for the volleyball enthusiast. It may be even tougher for the Cougars this year if they can't find enough passers to receive serve. If they do pass, however, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152945' first='Harper' last='Holden'] ('24, 6-1 MB)</strong> should be the primary attacker throughout the season. She had to be last night; her other middle sprained an ankle the night before in practice. I saw a few moments of fire from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='145469' first='Mya' last='Grigsby'] ('24, 5-11 OH),</strong> who can pound away and use fast feet to get to attacking mode quickly. Her opposite, <strong>Rilee Roland ('25, 5-9 OH)</strong> is a more compact version of Mya, and represents the future of the program. If they pass well, the Cougars should be able to hold their own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Notes</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Molly Wellborn ('25, 5-8 OH)</strong> looks to be the primary attacking option for Scecina after the Crusaders' first-ever semi-state run last fall. She put away quite a few balls against bigger competition last night.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Of the setters at North Central, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110514' first='Whitney' last='Scherrer'] ('24, 6-2 S)</strong> might end up having the best college career. She's long and lean, accurate with her sets, and after some Munciana training, much improved.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>There is so much size and youth at Westfield. I counted no less than six class of '27 kids that played at Munciana this past club season, the biggest and best of which is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443848' first='Carsyn' last='Comer']</strong> <strong>('27, 6-2 MB)</strong>, who can take over a match if you let her.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->