2024 Club Preview: Five:1 18 Black

Five:1 18 Black has a wide range of talents from all over the map this season.   It's a unique group with a nice bench of hitters to compliment an athletic setter and agile defenders.   The team has had some early success in the 2024 club season already. Here's a closer look at the squad.   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Brynn Wilson – Laingsburg</td><td>Chloe VanWinkle – Clio</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='523655' first='Maddie' last='Herzberger'] – Valley Lutheran</td></tr><tr><td>Nicole Giardina – Midland</td><td>Giselle Wiitanen – Mt. Pleasant</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='523657' first='Abby' last='Latchana'] – Davison</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='523659' first='Rylie' last='Priest'] – St. John's</td><td>Anna Safford – Powers Catholic</td><td>Paige Bakker – Fenton</td></tr><tr><td>Faith Martin – Hartland</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='523662' first='Chloe' last='Wright'] – Davison</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Outside options</h2>   Five:1 18 Black is working with three primary outsides and a RS. On the outside, Five:1 has Chloe VanWinkle out of Clio, [player_tooltip player_id='523655' first='Maddie' last='Herzberger'] out of Valley Lutheran and Nicole Giardina out of Midland.   Giardina is a 2025 prospect that has a nice mix of shots and has been finding a home with her offspeed swings, but has the ability to dial up the fastball.   VanWinkle is only 5'6”, but she can really explode off the floor and attack the ball at sharp angles. She's also a defensive asset, as she's quick to the ball and willing to take some bruises.   Herzberger has a little more length and she can finish from the front or back row. She's also able to place the ball well all over the court. She has the ability to transition quickly from defense to offense as well.   On the right side, Paige Bakker comes from the Fenton program. Bakker generates a lot of momentum at the net, which leads to a lot of power swings. She's got good length as well to power her way past blockers.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Middle magic</h2>   Like the outside, Five:1 has a lot of options to work with in the middle.   The roster lists four middles in Giselle Wiitanen of Mt. Pleasant, [player_tooltip player_id='523657' first='Abby' last='Latchana'] of Davison, [player_tooltip player_id='523659' first='Rylie' last='Priest'] of St. John's and Anna Safford of Powers Catholic.   Wiitanen didn't get to play this prep season but was a big presence for the Oilers as a junior with her blocking and finishing ability. She's got tremendous footwork and can really fly around the court to deliver a head-turning attack.   Latchana has been able to be used around the net and she's got good chemistry with the setter. She places the ball well and reads the openings in the defense well.   Prist brings a 6-foot frame and long wingspan to the net. That helps her get to out-of-system balls and be very imposing on defense. Priest can play on the outsides as well, as she generates a lot of power while coming down over the top of the ball.   Safford does a good job of taking what comes to her and getting a quality shot each time. She reads blockers well and has smooth technique. She's also been successful on the outsides.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Setting and defense</h2>   Five:1 18 Black has been leaning on Brynn Wilson of Laingsburg to handle the setting for this team.   Wilson stands 5'8” and can play an up-tempo style. She's got a lot of hitters to work with, so she spreads the ball out well. She's a good communicator and knows where to get the ball to take advantage of a mismatch at the net.   Wilson is also a valuable defender, as she is very spry in serve receive and coming up with timely digs.   Speaking of defense, Five:1 utilizes [player_tooltip player_id='523662' first='Chloe' last='Wright'] of Davison and Faith Martin of Hartland for back row duties.   Wright stays very composed and collected with the libero jersey on. She's got great first contact and can also make a nice feed to hitters when out-of-system.   When Martin is on the floor with Wright, the back row is well covered for Five:1. She's got a lot of the same instincts and covers a lot of ground. The two work together very well.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Early results</h2>   Five: 1 18 Black had a strong opening to the 2024 club season by placing second in the 17/18 Open of the Glass City Gauntlet in Toledo.   The squad won six of eight matches that weekend, only falling to the eventual champion Maverick 18 Elite in both losses.   The following week they placed 23rd in the 17/18 Open division of the Nike Classic.   That saw Five:1 go up against some of the state's best like Rise Academy and Unified 17-1. In both cases, the fell in three sets. The group had four matches go three sets, unable to pick up the win in any of them.   It's clear the team is going to be competitive, it just needs to figure out ways to take those close sets in tight matches.

Five:1 18 Black has a wide range of talents from all over the map this season.