Central Zone Invite Preview: 17 Open

<p>In what is considered to be the largest two-day tournament in the midwest, covering nearly 150 courts in five facilities by myself over two days is impossible. What we <em>can</em> do with this CZI Preview series is talk about the divisions individually and what players from Indiana will be in each division. Today's edition is the 17 Open division, which is chock full of talent at the attacking positions. Here they are, in alphabetical order, with two players on each team that will try to move their own recruiting needle.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Academy 17E Tsunami</h2>   <p>The top 17s roster at Academy, albeit lacking in size, has thumpers to spare. <strong>Bryn VanVleet ('25, 5-10 OH, Seton Catholic)</strong> is a do-everything middle for her high school team, but will definitely be a primary-passing outside at the next level. Her shot selection, ability to play the pass-to-attack game and overall volleyball IQ sets her apart from others in her same position. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='185478' first='Delaney' last='Steers'] ('25, 5-10 OH, Brownsburg)</strong> is another solid six-rotation outside that can overpower blocks and take over a match if she needs to.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Boiler Juniors 171E Gold</h2>   <p>This roster has, for the most part, stayed together over the years. A sprinkle of a new player into the fold from time to time makes this roster even more complete than its previous iterations, but the core remains the same. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='161191' first='Taylor' last='Cripe'] ('25, 5-10 OH, South Newton)</strong> has always had a heavy arm and an athletic way about her, and can truly terminate from anywhere on the court. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172316' first='Ava' last='Gutt'] ('25, 5-11 Pin, Hamilton Southeastern)</strong> is more than big enough to play either pin in college, combining size and volleyball acuity to get the job done.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Circle City 17 Purple</h2>   <p>The top 17s squad at Circle has so much size and talent. My favorite two off of this roster are <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173243' first='Ellen' last='Zapp'] ('25, 5-11 MB/Pin, Center Grove)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='487338' first='Lauren' last='Wilson'] ('25, 6-0 RS, New Castle).</strong> Ellen truly is a "play anywhere" type of athlete, and I've seen her take reps on the outside in high school and in the middle for her club squad just a couple of weeks ago. Any why not? She can do a little of everything from defending from pin to pin to crushing balls in any tempo at any time. Lauren is a true "big", and makes life miserable for opposing outsides she goes against, both on offense and defense. Her size, length and high volleyball IQ make her a solid candidate for D1 looks.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Empowered 17 Elite Black</h2>   <p>From the Fort Wayne area, Empowered kids also have the benefit of indoor sand training to go along with their hard court coaching. In this author's opinion, this just ups the overall skill level to <em>every</em> player, making each and every Empowered kid that much more well-rounded for the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502459' first='Elizabeth' last='Blackburn'] ('26, 5-10 OH, Columbia City)</strong> has that all-around game locked down, and shows it by playing up a class on the top 17s team. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='332516' first='Alyssa' last='Hall'] ('25, 5-11 MB, Homestead)</strong> does well from in front of and behind the setter, is explosive, and can defend from pin to pin better than her frame might indicate.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">NIVA 17 Purple</h2>   <p>Another purple squad, this time from WAY up north. Athleticism and size must be the common themes for the "purples", as NIVA's top 17s team has them too. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='192112' first='Kimora' last='Gorman'] ('25, 5-10 RS, Elkhart)</strong> is a springy lefty who prefers a faster tempo to put balls away. Not that she needs the speed, mind you---she already jumps better than most kids at the position, regardless of class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496421' first='Sarah' last='Noto'] ('25, 6-0 RS, Penn)</strong> could probably play either pin at the next level, but the majority of reps I've seen her play have been on the right side. She has the size and physicality to hammer away at opposing defenses while being a solid and reliable defender in her own right.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rev 17-1 Raptors</h2>   <p>Of the players on this roster, it's important to note that one of them is NOT an attacker. Usually, at this stage of the recruiting process, commitments come fast and furious, while the defenders are left behind. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='157436' first='Janie' last='Ransom'] ('25, 5-6 DS/L, Western Boone)</strong> should NOT be left behind, as she's one of the best defenders and serve receive queens in this class. As for attackers, look for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238758' first='Claire' last='Sabo'] ('25, 5-11 MB, Brebeuf)</strong> to play bigger than her size indicates. She's got a strong shoulder, a solid transition game and can defend well against all sizes of attackers.</p>

In what is considered to be the largest two-day tournament in the midwest, covering nearly 150 courts in five facilities by myself over two days is impossible. What we can do with this CZI Preview series is talk about the divisions individually and what players from Indiana will be in each division. Today's edition is the 17 Open division, which is chock full of talent at the attacking positions. Here they are, in alphabetical order, with two players on each team that will try to move their own recruiting needle.