Twelve Thumpers Thumping: Holiday Athletes You Need To See

With all of the collegiate volleyball done, club tryouts completed, schedules set and showcases wrapped up, we want to make a few of our articles more fun by highlighting multiple graduating classes in multiple positions. Here are twelve athletes that can hammer and change the momentum for their squads at any time.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of '25</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='161191' first='Taylor' last='Cripe'] ('25, 5-9 OH, South Newton, Boiler Juniors) is a primary-passing outside that hits a heavy ball from everywhere and can terminate at will if you let her. A First-Team All-State honoree from the fall, her athleticism gets her to any set quickly, and she's much stronger than she appears. [player_tooltip player_id='155089' first='Lilly' last='Howell'] ('25, 6-2 MB, Burris, Munciana) is the big middle that has "next level" written all over her. Also a First-Team All-Stater, Lilly led her Owl squad to a state title this past fall, and there was no question whatsoever as to who was getting the ball. She's long, lean, fast and efficient. [player_tooltip player_id='173241' first='Taylor' last='Woods'] ('25. 5-11 OH, West Lafayette, Circle City) is big enough to hit from either pin, and has the ball control to be a six-rotation outside. I like her high volleyball IQ that's coupled with her athleticism---very few uncommitted pin attackers remain at this size in this class with that combination of skills. [player_tooltip player_id='185478' first='Delaney' last='Steers'] ('25, 5-8 OH, Brownsburg, Academy) is another primary-passing outside that will do wonders for any school that needs a plug-and-play option on the smaller side.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of '26</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='210191' first='Reese' last='Resmer'] ('26, 6-0 MB, Noblesville, Boiler Juniors) is the consensus top recruit for the class of '26, and her multiple MVP awards and national titles don't do her justice. She's long, lean and fast in transition, and has a massive amount of volleyball acuity. She's a no-doubt middle recruit that reminds me a lot of current Indiana middle Ava Vickers. [player_tooltip player_id='251066' first='Elli' last='Strecker'] ('26, 6-3 MB, Zionsville, Team Indiana) has size and strength for days, and makes defending from pin to pin look simple. She can hit over just about any block, and is already north of ten feet in her attack touch. [player_tooltip player_id='355575' first='Avery' last='Lewis'] ('26, 6-0 MB, Cathedral, Academy) comes from a bloodline of volleyball players, as her older sister will attend Villanova in the fall as an outside. Avery has her own skillset that's impressive, from a smooth two-footed attack to long strides in defense that cover a ton of ground in the minimum amount of steps. [player_tooltip player_id='217453' first='Rose' last='Mahin'] ('26, 5-9 OH, Franklin Community, Rev) is another solid primary-passing option that can hammer from anywhere. The ball just sounds different coming off of her hand, and she's added a tough jump serve to her arsenal over the past year. One of the top attackers for the Grizzly Cubs this past fall, Rose is adding more defense and serve receive to her game, making her that much more recruitable.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of '27</h2>   These four freshmen no longer play like freshmen. [player_tooltip player_id='260995' first='Caroline' last='Ward'] ('27, 6-0 OH, Tri-West, Boiler Juniors) is far and away the best player in this class, as she jumps north of ten feet and can terminate from anywhere on the court. Her club season had her as a right side, while she was a primary attacker from the left this past fall in their run to the Bruins' first-ever regional final. She also earned Second-Team All-State honors for her work in the fall. [player_tooltip player_id='443848' first='Carsyn' last='Comer'] ('27, 6-2 MB, Westfield, Munciana) has that "it" factor, already having a season with the Chipmunks at Munciana last spring. Her length is her strength, and she can smoothly transition from defense to offense with efficiency. [player_tooltip player_id='435863' first='Jenna' last='Dittmer'] ('27, 5-8 OH, Zionsville, Circle City) is another six-rotation passer that would be best suited as an O2 at the next level. Her ball control is her strength, and she's already had some high profile matches in the outdoor game at her young age. It's not just passing for her; she's a terminator from the left pin and can see angles and shots that most other attackers this age can't. [player_tooltip player_id='435568' first='Avery' last='Olsen'] ('27, 6-1 MB/RS, Penn, [program_tooltip program_id='430155' first='Team' last='Pineapple']) is a big and physical attacker that takes up a bunch of space on the block while also putting balls away. She uses every inch of her stature to appear bigger than her 6-1 frame might otherwise dictate. She can play either position listed above with ease, and should gain some strength and conditioning playing faster ball at TP in the spring.

With all of the collegiate volleyball done, club tryouts completed, schedules set and showcases wrapped up, we want to make a few of our articles more fun by highlighting multiple graduating classes in multiple positions. Here are twelve athletes that can hammer and change the momentum for their squads at any time.