Central Zone Invite Preview: 17 Club Red

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So many divisions, so little time and space. With nearly 150 courts covering five facilities on the first weekend in February, we need all the time we can to give a proper preview to the biggest two-day event in the midwest. Here are ten players from five clubs playing in the 17 Club Red division, starting February 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Academy 17-3E Avalanche</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small but mighty, the 17-3 at Academy has a bunch of multi-sport athletes that can do a little of everything on the volleyball court. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152942' first='Faith' last='Kresge'] ('25, 5-8 OH, Greenwood Christian)</strong> just came off of the best volleyball season in her high school's history, and wants to make a little more history by being one of the first EVER to get a schollie from GCA for volleyball. Faith's athleticism gets her out of more binds than the average outside, which makes up for her size. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='484238' first='Cami' last='Knight'] ('25, 5-9 MB, Eastern Hancock)</strong> has all of the angles covered, taking a slower tempo ball in the middle and making opposing middles move and account for her at all times. Again, athleticism is key for Cami, and she shows it on both offense and defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Circle City 17 White</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another highly athletic team, Circle's 3s have a little more size than Academy's above. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502967' first='Hailey' last='Dunn'] ('25, 5-11 ATH, Cascade)</strong> is listed as "athlete" because there is no one position that she should be pigeon-holed into. She can terminate from anywhere, defend at an above-average rate at the net, and has a high volleyball IQ. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489962' first='Audrey' last='Eagle'] ('25, 5-9 OH, Avon)</strong> has the tools and the potential to be a six-rotation primary-passing outside at the next level. Her IQ for the sport is also high, and is always making the correct swing considering the situation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='431513' first='Munciana' last='Indy'] 16 Cardinals</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yes, you read that correctly, the top 16s team at [program_tooltip program_id='431513' first='Munciana' last='Indy'] is playing up an age bracket in a 17s division. So much size and talent is on this roster, which made it hard to pick just two players. I'll go with a pair of middles in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502978' first='Lucianna' last='Pinyerd'] ('26, 6-1 MB, Carmel)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502980' first='Audra' last='Darling'] ('26, 6-0 MB, Cathedral).</strong> Both have length and strength for days, so here's to hoping that the ball control is solid enough that these two can take over as attackers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">NIVA 17 White</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From WAY up north, NIVA has a pair of big middles of their own on this roster, both from Adams High School in South Bend. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502970' first='Makaylah' last='Asuquo'] ('25, 6-0 MB, South Bend Adams)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502972' first='Megan' last='Eleff'] ('25, 5-0 MB, South Bend Adams)</strong> are broad-shouldered and strong, can put balls away at all angles, and can be either the M1 or the M2 at any given time. I'd like to see a bit more from them at Central Zone's to see what separates them on the attack. For now, both should be considered for next-level training on their size alone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TI Elite 17.2</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A varied roster makes this squad a unique blend of what the teams above have---smaller athletes and bigger, stronger front row difference-makers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502974' first='Emma' last='Stites'] ('25, 5-7 RS, Richmond)</strong> is a lefty banger coming all the way from the eastern border of Indiana to be athletic and put balls away. I have yet to see her in the back row on defense, but her attack is already above-average for a lefty right side in this class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502976' first='Morgan' last='Kurzawski'] ('25, 6-2 MB, Center Grove)</strong> has size and strength to burn, and her defense is what stands out among this group of ten players. Here's another team I'd like to see more of, as their ball control should dictate their success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->