Part 2: More Impact Names To Know From Windy City 15 Open
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The Notes App was full from this past weekend at the Windy City Qualifier. I was able to watch a lot of 15s, the Class of 2027 making an impact on a big stage. When I am watching these courts,…
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Continue ReadingThe Notes App was full from this past weekend at the Windy City Qualifier. I was able to watch a lot of 15s, the Class of 2027 making an impact on a big stage. When I am watching these courts, I look for those making an impact and that can mean various things. A big swing, a block, a hustle play, the intangibles, there are so many little things that players can do that make a big difference. Here are more impact athletes from 15 Open at the Windy City Qualifier.
Braelyn Patton – Premier 15 Black
Dallas Premier took day one by storm coming in as the 22nd seed and taking down six seed Circle City 15 Purple which would advance them to a day two gold pool. One of the big reasons behind this success was Braelyn Patton. What a presence. She is a 2027 middle blocker to star right now on UA and get her to camp this summer. She’s listed at 6’2, but she’s playing like she is 6’4 or 6’5 with how high she is able to be above the net. Her wingspan allows her to cause a lot of havoc. She moves really well laterally to close the block and is so tough to stop when she can run a shoot set. She’s got a fast arm and knows how to find the open spot in the deep corner. Her potential is through the roof and will be a fun athlete to follow in her process.
Alyssa Todd – TAV 15 Fifer
TAV 15 Fifer took home the 15 Open title this past weekend in Chicago with a really athletic and well balanced team. Todd is a 6’1 six rotation outside hitter who is from the Class of 2026. She will be one to contact come June 15 of this year. She is so smooth with how she moves and controls her platform. Her serve receive is definitely a strength to her game. Offensively she swings with an IQ where she can find the open spot, but also knows when to roll, throw, and tip. She was also really strong with using the hands of the block to score points.
Logan Georgy – Sky High 15 Elite
Another major presence as a middle blocker is Logan Georgy. Sky High 15 Elite out of Chicagoland finished 11th overall and will be a threat the rest of the season to knock off some top teams. Georgy was consistently hitting the ball square. She can hit the quick tempo or can run the slide and be a threat to score off one foot. Her physicality at the net is elite for the 15s age where she knows how to set a strong block. Her upside is exciting, she’s athletic and versatile where she will be one to watch out of the Class of 2027.
Payton Scifres – Sky High 15 Elite
Scifres preps at Westosha Central in Wisconsin and plays her club ball for Sky High in Illinois. She is among the top prospects in Wisconsin’s Class of 2027 and the top setter in the class as well. At 6’0, Scifres has a major physical presence as a setter where she can block, take it on two, and receive the ball high to go to any attacker. She is extremely smooth on the court where she is very fundamental and well trained, starting with her footwork. She will continue to rise among setters in the Midwest as well as nationally.
Kennedy Langmo – Top Select 15 Elite
Speed and athleticism in the name of the game for Langmo who plays for Top Select 15 Elite out of the Orlando area. She has great hand contact where she can take what the defense gives her going line or cross. Her footwork is on point where she can transition, take efficient attack angles and is really fast to the ball. In the backrow she remains calm. There is no wasted movement which translates to her platform where she can be relied upon to put up a clean ball and also be an outlet to swing out of the backrow.
Lyric Judson – Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
A quick comparison for Lyric Judson when I saw her play was another Premier Nebraska middle blocker heading to Oregon in the Class of 2024 in Mia Tvrdy. When Judson heads into the front row, there is always going to be something exciting that happens. She creates chaos for the other side of the net. She hunts the front row looking for that key block, slamming the over pass, or creating space where her setter can find her for a quick tempo. Her arm swing is extremely quick where she can take the ball to both corners or can score off a tip or throw.
Erin Cramer – Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
Cramer is the other part of this dynamic middle blocking duo for Premier 15 Gold. This team claimed their open bid by finishing second overall. The Nebraska Class of 2027 is loaded across the state and will have multiple teams in the open field in Vegas come July. Cramer doesn’t need much of a window to score points in the middle, she has a fast arm swing that packs a punch where she can see the block and the open spot which is a high level skill for the 15s level. This team is the Nebraska volleyball brand where they are so fundamentally sound and well rounded.
Lucy Moriarty – HPSTL 15 Royal
Moriarty is big time as a libero for High Performance St. Louis. I first noticed her in serve receive because in some rotations she is covering nearly ¾ of the court. This shows the trust her team has in her in being able to cover the court and provide a clean first contact in system. That was something I also noticed about HPSTL 15 Royal was how often they were in system. Moriarty is a commander of the backrow who has a presence beyond her passing where she is connecting with her teammates each play.
Jazzlyn Hepburn – Austin Skyline 15 Royal
Austin Skyline 15 Royal just finished outside of getting a bid. This team is right at the top when it comes to being among the best teams. One of the main reasons for the success of this team is outside hitter Jazzlyn Hepburn who can score points in bunches. The way she approaches, jumps, and swings is so smooth and effortless. She has a lot of length and a whip of an arm swing that can cause a lot of damage for the other side. Her efficiency had to be extremely high this past weekend because whenever I saw her play, she was scoring a lot of points and not making many eros. A great blend of being aggressive along with swinging with IQ.
Ihuoma Ozoh – 1st Alliance 15 Gold
I have seen this 1st Alliance team play multiple times this season and one player I thought really emerged this past weekend was Ihuoma Ozoh out of the middle. At 6’2, she is a fast twitch middle blocker who plays with so much physicality and athleticism. Her game has really improved over the season where she is becoming a real presence for this 1st Alliance group. She is a 2026 prospect and one that college coaches need to have on the radar for this summer.
Peyton Kubik – Dynasty 15 Black
What a dynamic force for Dynasty who could score from the outside, right side, backrow – there wasn’t a bad for for Kubik. The Kubik name may sound familiar to the volleyball world because it is. Peyton is the younger sister of Madi Kubik who starred at Nebraska and Hayden Kubik who will be a key incoming athlete for Tennessee this upcoming season. I was able to cover both of these athletes when they were competing for West Des Moines Valley High School in Iowa. Peyton will be one to watch along with the rest of her Dynasty teammates who were on fire in their convincing sweep over 1st Alliance.
Riley Riggs – Dynasty 15 Black
The other side of the net needs to know where Riley Riggs is for Dynasty 15 Black. She is a six rotation attacker who starts its all with her passing and serve receive. When it comes to attacking she was able to score from multiple spots in the front and backrow. She can go hard cross and line from the outside, but was also really strong on the right side as well. Dynasty will look to defend their home turf when they take on the Show Me Qualifier in Kansas City where they will be the five seed heading into a loaded field.