High Performance Nike 18-1 2024 Club Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This year's club High Performance squad is well spread out throughout Oakland County and one from Macomb County.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's what to look for from the team this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <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> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Determined setting and defense</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team features a pair of setters and a pair of primary defenders that will all be eager to prove themselves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At setter, High Performance utilizes <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='347682' first='Avari' last='Sparks']</strong> and <strong>Katelyn Koch</strong>. 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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, High Performance will be utilizing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='192872' first='Jordan' last='Suhajda'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261183' first='Lili' last='Sipila']</strong>. 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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hitting options</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>HPVB has three primary outsides to work with this season in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110285' first='Devin' last='Brunk']</strong>, <strong>Lola Rosol </strong>and <strong>Anika Abelgas</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the middle, High Performance has <strong>Annabelle Basham, Gabrielle Bouzdie</strong> and <strong>Grace Lamb.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Basham and Bouzdie have been able to play the outsides as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Early results</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High Performance opened its season at the Windy City Qualifier a few weeks ago, finishing 22^nd in the 18 USA Division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team went 2-6 on the weekend, suffering five losses to open play before bouncing back with a pair of wins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The squad had six sets lost that weekend by four points or less.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That shows they are close, just need to clean up a few details to hit a nice momentum boost.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They will participate in the Steel City Freeze event this weekend in Pittsburgh.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->