Club Preview: More Ohio 18U Teams to See

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>AVC 18 Red</em></strong><br>AVC is the top club in the greater Cleveland area, if not in all of Ohio. They consistently feature some of the state's best talent and this 18 Red squad falls right in line. State champion and 1st team all-Ohio selection [player_tooltip player_id='169128' first='Hannah' last='Pattie'] (*pictured; Campbell University) will once again lead this team from the setter position. She is dynamite in her movement and distribution as she guided Lake Catholic to consecutive state titles in distributing a high performing and efficient offense in 2023. Some of her biggest arms on this team include [player_tooltip player_id='169100' first='Emma' last='McCartney'] (Northern Illinois), [player_tooltip player_id='139300' first='Alexa' last='Strandberg'] (South Alabama), and [player_tooltip player_id='114595' first='Julia' last='Sprecher'] (LSU-Beach) on the left pin and [player_tooltip player_id='139302' first='Sydney' last='Waller'] (Samford) at opposite. [player_tooltip player_id='198487' first='Natalie' last='Robinson'] (Rutgers) and [player_tooltip player_id='239171' first='Laura' last='Fuehrer'] (UMBC) are primary options in the middle that should contribute well to open up space for their corps of pin options. AVC is a club known for its defense and ball control. This team will be led by <strong>Avery Anders</strong>, a Bowling Green commit. Also part of this team are newcomer in the middle <strong>Ella Iriarte</strong> (Duquesne), setter [player_tooltip player_id='199839' first='Olivia' last='Castelluccio'] (uncommitted), and [player_tooltip player_id='169106' first='Samantha' last='Young'] (Ashland). This team will compete through a big schedule starting with consecutive qualifiers in Chicago and Ohio followed by the feature early-season national level tournament in the Triple Crown Invitational.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Elite VBTC 18 Black</em></strong><br>This team has some big pin threats led by 1st team all-Ohio selection [player_tooltip player_id='152118' first='Olivia' last='Heitkamp'], one of the best right side options in the state. The Toledo commit led New Bremen to consecutive DIV state titles over the past two seasons. [player_tooltip player_id='169124' first='Eva' last='Dittmar'] (South Alabama) earned DI 3rd team all-Ohio honors for Tri-Valley and should make a big impact on the left side. [player_tooltip player_id='114581' first='Gabrielle' last='Jones'] (Lake Erie) returns to this team as well as she provides versatility and physicality in her offensive skills. Another Toledo commit, <strong>Grace Freiberger</strong>, should be a big factor in the first-touch phase with her serve receive and defensive skills. This squad has two very good options at the setter position including the athletic [player_tooltip player_id='139290' first='Ava' last='Prince'] (St. Francis) and efficient [player_tooltip player_id='139295' first='Maija' last='Eglitis'] (uncommitted). [player_tooltip player_id='261354' first='Sabrina' last='Ripple'] (Evansville) returns and will combine with [player_tooltip player_id='435231' first='Peyton' last='Graham'] as some of their top options in the middle. Additional contributors to see include the versatile <strong>Kelly Cooper</strong> as well as 6'0 opposite [player_tooltip player_id='139297' first='Taylor' last='Dushane']. Following an early weekend of Power League play, you can see this team compete at the annual Rock 'n Rumble event in Cleveland in mid-January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 18 Toth</em></strong><br>1st team all Ohio selection [player_tooltip player_id='114584' first='Elise' last='Marchal'] is the premier attacker for this team and returns to once again lead their offense. The ECC's top kills producer is headed to Appalachian State. She has a big arm and some of the best versatility in Ohio to swing for points for any location on the court. Returning on the pins are [player_tooltip player_id='152117' first='Mialee' last='Dabbelt'] (Belmont), [player_tooltip player_id='196364' first='Dakota' last='Spurrier'] (North Florida), and [player_tooltip player_id='114597' first='Mya' last='White'] (Bellarmine), all coming off of productive senior seasons for their high schools. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='114567' first='Lily' last='Bolen'] is committed to Rutgers and was a 1st team all ECC selection as she finished second in the league in total assists. [player_tooltip player_id='239172' first='Kate' last='Noschang'] will add support in the middle while Illinois commit [player_tooltip player_id='114570' first='Kenzie' last='Cogan'] will anchor their ball control and defense. Rounding out the roster are opposite Tamia King and the multi-dimensional [player_tooltip player_id='139277' first='Payton' last='Evans']. The Akron commit has the ability to contribute in a variety of areas. With a new coach leading their final club season, they open their national-level schedule at the Windy City Qualifier in Chicago mid-January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->