Prez Day StL Athletes Under The Radar: 16 Premier

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moving right along with our preview of the President's Day tournament in Saint Louis, there are plenty of Hoosier athletes to choose from. Here are five teams with two athletes each that will make this tournament a recruiting coup for their personal brand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Academy 16E Phoenix</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although an undersized roster, the pair I chose today have qualities that are easily transferable to the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489974' first='Jasmine' last='Henderson'] ('26, 5-6 OH, Fishers)</strong> is a springy and quick outside that can play all the way around and plays much bigger than her size would otherwise indicate. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='510526' first='Grace' last='Troxell'] ('26, 5-10 RS, Roncalli)</strong> has seen the majority of her best play on the right side, both offensively and defensively. Her long arms and broad shoulders make her a prime candidate to be a right side at the next level, but her ability to put balls away on either pin can make her a left side player as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Boiler Juniors 162E Black</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a similar way, this Boiler Juniors squad has a mixture of size and skill like their "cousins" at Academy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='387449' first='Audrey' last='Alexander'] ('26, 5-11 RS, West Lafayette)</strong> is an excellent choice for the right side at the next level. Her size and volleyball IQ make recruiting her an easy choice. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='386164' first='Caya' last='Stillings'] ('26, 5-4 DS/L, Faith Christian)</strong> wears the special jersey well. Her calm demeanor in serve receive, paired with an innate ability to anticipate where the ball might be attacked on defense, show how ready she is for collegiate play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ignite 16 Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The mixture of size and skill on each of these teams might be a prerequisite of playing in the 16 Premier division this coming weekend. Ignite has their fair share as well from "the region". <strong>Alexa Iwema ('26, 5-11 MB/RS, Lake Central)</strong> can play either position, and did just that during her high school season this past fall. That volleyball acuity will serve her well when she sees tougher competition this weekend. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489963' first='Ava' last='Bercot'] ('26, 5-8 DS/L, Illiana Christian)</strong> is one of the taller liberi in the state, and uses her length well to cover far more ground than your average defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Metro VBC 16 Pink</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other end of the state in Evansville is yet another pair of size and skill that should not go overlooked. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='334561' first='Katelyn' last='Wathen'] ('26, 5-11 MB/RS, Mater Dei)</strong> is a big and physical front row player that could probably play any of the three front row positions at the next level. I'd like to see her with a more skilled setter and see what she's capable of. This weekend should be a prime example of what her potential is. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241703' first='Lydia' last='Wilson'] ('26, 5-3 DS/L, Tecumseh)</strong> is a great example of athleticism on the ladies' side at Tecumseh. Quick footed, anticipatory and smart, Lydia can easily wear the special jersey at the next level on athleticism alone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team Indiana Elite 16.2</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alright, enough with the pairings. I decided to go with what will drive this roster to success. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='504728' first='Josey' last='Whitehead'] ('26, 5-10 OH, Center Grove)</strong> is a big and physical pin attacker that hits a heavy ball and can terminate when in the right system. Her upper body strength also helps her defense at the net, outmuscling any opposing attacker that is set too tight. Another attacker to pay attention to is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='510528' first='Gwyndolin' last='Williams'] ('26, 5-9 OH, Triton Central)</strong> has long arms that make her look taller than she actually is, which helps when trying to hit a high line shot or block a taller attacker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->