Six For ’26: Six Athletes From Empowered From The Class of ’26

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tournaments start here in Indiana this weekend. To get us ready for the opening weekend, we've got a series of clubs that have athletes that should make a major difference for their clubs this season. Here are six athletes from the class of 2026 from Empowered that are bound and determined to make their sophomore club seasons the best ever.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">18 Onyx</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the teams listed today are a mixture of classes, and the 18 Onyx group is no different. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='497493' first='Emersyn' last='Weaver'] ('26, 5-9 OH, Leo)</strong> is no different. She's a six-rotation outside that puts balls away using situations and smarts rather than expelling a ton of energy. She also has that long and lean look to her when she attacks, making her appear bigger than her frame might indicate. overall, she's a solid pickup for any school looking for that no-nonsense attacker from the left that is reliable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">17/18 Elite Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A truly mixed roster, I found that <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='497496' first='Brooklyn' last='Fraunfelder'] ('26, 5-9 DS/L, Columbia City)</strong> has all the tools to be an elite defender. She's a left-back queen with a solid and steady base. Her height is her advantage; she rarely has to hit the floor because her arm length and long strides get her to the ball without having to hit the floor. This makes her immediately ready for the next contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">17 Elite Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top 17s team at Empowered has a ton of size and talent. What it <em>doesn't</em> have is youth, where <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='497498' first='Liz' last='Blackburn'] ('26, 5-10 Pin, Columbia City)</strong> comes in. She played a ton of right side in high school, but can terminate from either pin with ease. She hits a heavy ball with a high contact point, and has a natural tool swing that most blocks struggle to defend. I like her natural ability to smoothly transition to attack. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">16 Elite Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, we're at the age-appropriate roster for this class! There are so many class-of-'26 athletes here that it was hard to pick the final three. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='334559' first='Annika' last='Koepke'] ('26, 5-11 OH, New Haven)</strong> has a naturally high swing and terminates at will against smaller blockers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='497500' first='McKayla' last='Reuter'] ('26, 5-11 S/RS, Churubusco)</strong> can be a 5-1 setter, a 6-2 setter where she gets to swing in the front row, or a full-time right side. Both skills are above-average for her in comparison to the rest of this class. Right now, her setting skills seem to be inching ahead of her attacking talent, but knowing that she can do both is impressive. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='497502' first='Nicolette' last='Watercutter'] ('26, 5-10 OH, Bishop Dwenger)</strong> is a solid and dependable six-rotation outside that should be using this year refining her all-around game. Empowered is the place to do it---they have a full set of beach courts to train with as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->