2023 PD Illinois Top 250: The Powerhouse Pins

<!-- wp:heading {"level":6} --> <h6 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Be sure to follow&nbsp;@lshotvb&nbsp;on Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter for all things volleyball!</em></h6> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":6} --> <h6 class="wp-block-heading"><em><a href="https://prepdig.com/top-250-expos/">Join us at the&nbsp;Prep Dig Top 250 Expo</a>!&nbsp;</em><em>Use code LShotVBExpo2023 for 10% off your registration fee.</em>&nbsp;(APPLICABLE TO ALL EXPOS)</h6> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":6} --> <h6 class="wp-block-heading">–</h6> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top Flight Volleyball was top tier today in terms of volleyball talent in the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From Michigan and Indiana, to Illinois, the Top 250 Expo tour continues on. Once again, the Illinois stop proved to be one for the books. Elite talent on display, fun atmosphere and a lot of great volleyball throughout the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's kick off who shined with the top outside hitters at this year's Illinois Top 250.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='488570' first='Caroline' last='Impey'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last=''] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Upon first walking into the gym, this was the first player that caught my eye! [player_tooltip player_id='488570' first='Caroline' last='Impey']'s game is one of the most explosive I had seen in the gym. She's not only exploding off of the ground, but she's thundering into the ball. Impey does great work identifying the play and making athletic adjustments on the fly to make the most of any set. This player was easily one of the top performers in Illinois.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='260955' first='Lucy' last='Pufundt'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last=''] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A really exciting player to watch. It isn't everyday that you see a player at this age so comfortable and effective storming out of the back court for a kill. [player_tooltip player_id='260955' first='Lucy' last='Pufundt'] has a nice, high reach with a nice snap on the ball that makes her really hard to defend. She also was maybe one of the best serve and passers out of the pin attackers this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='260910' first='Audrey' last='Chizzo'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When this player gets into her rhythm and finds the tempo, there is very little that anyone across the net can do to stop her. [player_tooltip player_id='260910' first='Audrey' last='Chizzo'], as the event went on, just got better and better. A promising prospect to start, by the end, I understood why she was a Top 250 player. Chizzo has a really strong attack that can can barrel over even the best defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='266140' first='Bella' last='Potempa'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Look out below! This kid can soar into the clouds and bring down some serious thunder on a ball. [player_tooltip player_id='266140' first='Bella' last='Potempa'] may be relatively small to today's standards as a pin but the way she elevates makes her one of the best in the gym. There was not a shot that Potempa couldn't hit. She was crushing every single shot in the book throughout the day looking like a pro in each of them. Potempa also boasts a really impressive top spin serve that could be quite deadly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='489954' first='Ryann' last='Knuth'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I can't decide which pin I liked seeing [player_tooltip player_id='489954' first='Ryann' last='Knuth'] out of more. She is so strong out of either pin. After cracking some bombers out of the right, where she seemed to be most comfortable, she brought some serious heat out of the left. Knuth has a great sense of generating power from her torque and arm swing. On the right, she was showcasing some great wrist away action with a lot of pace. On the left, where we saw her most during competition, she has that same range and a lot of strength as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='326066' first='Morgan' last='Zibell'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arguably one of the loudest pops on the ball I might have heard all day. [player_tooltip player_id='326066' first='Morgan' last='Zibell'] does a great job elevating and ripping away a nasty ball. Her hand to ball contact was so smooth, she could create a lot of different angles behind a lot of pace too. I was loving what she could do on the left pin and throughout the back court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='479571' first='Maggie' last='Kurpeikis'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the strongest attackers on the right side, when [player_tooltip player_id='479571' first='Maggie' last='Kurpeikis'] got into a groove, she was balling out the rest of the way. She has a nice wingspan that allows her to reach and crush the ball over the block. With her length, she also poses as a tough block to go against for opposing left sides. I loved seeing her range as an attacker and blocker despite her youth. Kurpeikis is a kid I will have on my radar going into the club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='243756' first='Tewa' last='Woodson'] - [program_tooltip program_id='431567' first='Adversity' last='']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Man, can [player_tooltip player_id='243756' first='Tewa' last='Woodson'] really elevate off the court! Her hops are insane, but yet, seem so effortless. She gets up so high and can tee off some incredible shots. Woodson has the nature to float in the air, giving her a clear vision before hammering away. She could score with ease. This is another one that I am excited to watch for throughout the 2024 club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->