High Performance Nike 18-1 2024 Club Preview

High Performance Nike 18-1 has a hungry group of players looking to make a final surge to solidify their place among the best players in the state.   This year's club High Performance squad is well spread out throughout Oakland County and one from Macomb County.   Here's what to look for from the team this season.   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Anika Abelgas – Troy</td><td>Annabelle Basham – Holly</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='347682' first='Avari' last='Sparks'] – Walled Lake Northern</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='110285' first='Devin' last='Brunk'] – Lake Orion</td><td>Gabrielle Bouzide – Troy</td><td>Grace Lamb – Waterford Mott</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='192872' first='Jordan' last='Suhajda'] – Rochester</td><td>Katelyn Koch – South Lyon East</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='261183' first='Lili' last='Sipila'] – Stoney Creek</td></tr><tr><td>Lola Rosol – Fraser</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Determined setting and defense</h2>   This team features a pair of setters and a pair of primary defenders that will all be eager to prove themselves.   At setter, High Performance utilizes [player_tooltip player_id='347682' first='Avari' last='Sparks'] and Katelyn Koch. Both come from the Lakes Valley Conference, which had some top-heavy teams in the conference that proved to be a factor in the state picture.   Koch has a lot of good leadership skills and she stays very active and spry on the floor, making her a defensive asset on top of her setting. Sparks brings a lot of similar attributes, as she covers the back row well defensively and is able to set a smooth ball to her hitters.   Defensively, High Performance will be utilizing [player_tooltip player_id='192872' first='Jordan' last='Suhajda'] and [player_tooltip player_id='261183' first='Lili' last='Sipila']. Both come from the Rochester area and are high-motor players that communicate well. They use good technique, combined with the ability to explode to a spot, to do a good job of keeping their team in-system.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hitting options</h2>   HPVB has three primary outsides to work with this season in [player_tooltip player_id='110285' first='Devin' last='Brunk'], Lola Rosol and Anika Abelgas.   Brunk is coming off a strong year with Lake Orion where she got a chance to shoulder a lot of the offensive load. She's got a powerful swing, but she's really worked to develop balance in her all-around play.   Rosol has a short, compact swing that allows her to be patient and wait for the ball to come to her. She can still put a lot of pop on it and challenge the defense.   Abelgas is a standout defender that uses her athleticism to excel anywhere on the floor. She's able to take on a serve, then transition quickly to finishing the point at the net. She's got a smooth swing that works well in the back row as well.   In the middle, High Performance has Annabelle Basham, Gabrielle Bouzdie and Grace Lamb.   Lamb has a 6-foot frame that she uses well to stay above the blockers, but her court vision allows her to adjust her attacks quickly and play tough side angles.   Basham and Bouzdie have been able to play the outsides as well.   Bouzdie brings a little more length of the two and she's improved her shot selection and court awareness over the last year. She can dial up a fastball, but also knows when to play offspeed over the block.   Basham has a lot of quickness and adjusts to the play well. She's able to make the most out of out-of-system balls and stays aggressive on her block.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Early results</h2>   High Performance opened its season at the Windy City Qualifier a few weeks ago, finishing 22nd in the 18 USA Division.   The team went 2-6 on the weekend, suffering five losses to open play before bouncing back with a pair of wins.   The squad had six sets lost that weekend by four points or less.   That shows they are close, just need to clean up a few details to hit a nice momentum boost.   They will participate in the Steel City Freeze event this weekend in Pittsburgh.

High Performance Nike 18-1 has a hungry group of players looking to make a final surge to solidify their place among the best players in the state.