High Performance Nike 15-1 2024 Club Overview
High Performance Nike 15-1 is proving to be a shining star for the club early on in the 2024 season. A pair of strong outings thus far in 15 Open events, High Performance believes Nike 15-1 can contend with the…
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Continue ReadingHigh Performance Nike 15-1 is proving to be a shining star for the club early on in the 2024 season.
A pair of strong outings thus far in 15 Open events, High Performance believes Nike 15-1 can contend with the top 15U squads in the state.
Here’s a closer look at this year’s roster.
Sienna Austin – Oxford | Ava Bonner – Stoney Creek | Lyla Gorny – Troy |
Lucille Goss – Rochester Adams | Rachel Johnston – Rochester Adams | Avery Kapeller Avery Kapeller 5'11" | OH Orchard Lake St. Marys Prep | 2027 MI – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s |
Maya Kuebler – Clarkston | Cydnee Speights – Mercy | Brynn Wilcox – Bloomfield Hills |
Athletic, powerful on the outside
The reason High Performance is optimistic about this squad is due to some dynamic hitters they have to work with.
Avery Kapeller Avery Kapeller 5'11" | OH Orchard Lake St. Marys Prep | 2027 MI is someone the program is very excited about. She’s got length and hang time, making her a very dangerous and adaptable hitter. She can attack with a lot of force, or wait on the ball and fool the defense. Kapeller is finishing consistently from the back row as well.
Cydnee Speights is a 2028 prospect that is with the team that should be on everyone’s radar. She’s got a lot of good natural form and power in her swing, but she shows a lot of agility and quickness at the net. Her instincts are well ahead for her age.
Lucy Gloss is another outside on the roster that has shown improvement in her finishing ability and consistency. Gloss gets a lot of good contact on the ball. As her timing keeps improving, so should her overall impact.
Complimentary middles
High Performance has a nice mix of middles as well with Sienna Austin, Lyla Gorny and Rachel Johnston.
Johnston can play on the outside as well, but her length allows her to be a force at either spot, both offensively and defensively. She’s also proven to be an asset from the service line.
Gorny stands 6’1”, which gives High Performance some needed size to compete with the best in 15U. Gorny is working on her footwork and timing, but she’s got the imposing length and athleticism to be a difference-maker.
Austin has great court awareness and active eyes. She stays focused in on the play and recognizes where to get the ball to beat the defense. She brings a lot of competitive fire to the team as well.
Setting and defense
The offense is run by setter Brynn Wilcox, who got the opportunity to work with the explosive Bloomfield Hills offense this fall.
Wilcox is playing with more and more confidence and has improved on her leadership skills on the floor. She is spreading the ball well and has been able to recognize the hot hand and get them swings.
Defensively, High Performance has Maya Kuebler and Ava Bonner to rely on. Both have sported the libero jersey and both bring a strong serve to the floor.
Kuebler comes from the Clarkston program, which has developed plenty of strong liberos over recent years. Kuebler plays with that same relentlessness we have seen from other Clarkston defenders and her first contact is getting better and better.
Bonner stays in good position while patrolling the back row. She’s active on her feet, yet still looks and plays composed. She doesn’t seem caught off guard often.
Early results
High Performance opened its season at the JVA Rock N’ Rumble on the first weekend in January. The squad put together a 7th-place finish in the 15 Open.
That was followed up by a 3rd-place finish in the 15 Open of the Steel City Freeze back at the start of February.
The most recent outing saw High Performance win its first four matches, with seven of their eight set victories coming by at least seven points.
This team has shown the ability to get a lot of momentum and ride that to success. We should get a better idea of how they will continue to fair when they compete in the President’s Day Challenge in Detroit this upcoming weekend.