Fresh'man' Catch of the Day: Under the Radar '27s from AAUs Day 1

With clubs like Munciana, Team Indiana, Boiler Juniors and Empowered all competing for a AAU National 15s title this week in Orlando, there is plenty of undiscovered talent from Indiana just waiting to be found. The class of 2027 is still making a name for itself as this club season winds down and they didn't disappoint on day one. Here are the names you may not know yet, but need to, from the 15s division in Indiana.    The first thing that struck me about Rhamy was her ability and willingness to play off blocker defense as an outside hitter. I never saw her standing up or not ready, she was always dialed in and able to transition and swing to different sets, especially the 2 ball. Her maximum effort was also on display when she was blocking, where I saw her give nothing less than a full jump and press over. Lastly, in one rotation where she had to pass and swing RS, she did it confidently and effectively.     Gwin is the kind of libero coaches love - great energy, always moving and constantly communicating. She is definitely a court leader with both her effort and communication. On serve receive I never saw her pass anything less than a two- or three-point pass and she never missed an opportunity to cover her hitters. On the defensive side of things, hard driven balls that were hit her way were dug high and in the middle of the court allowing her setter time to get there. Lastly, when the setter would dig, she consistently put up great out of system sets for both pins to swing at.     What immediately caught my eye with Young was her ability to close the block in both directions very well, especially for a middle blocker her age. She uses her length effectively to get two hands up and over on every opponent's swing, getting playable touches on many balls so her team can dig more easily. Much like older high school and college level players, she has the ability when blocking to dive into the seam when she is late to close; a skill not often seen at this age. I also really loved how she worked to transition every single time - she was an option for her setter on every play.     When watching freshman setters, it is always impressive when they can confidently and effectively set all three hitters, both in serve receive and transition. Simonetti does just that - she spreads the ball around well and it is not afraid to set the middle in transition, which often gave the opposing team a lot of trouble defensively. Not only does she have the confidence, but she has the consistency to go with it, when setting either pin or the middle she set with consistent tempo and height in each direction. Lastly, there were a few times when she had to push a ball to the outside from all the way across the court and she did it with ease (strong setter).     We're always looking for a solid lefty right side hitter at this level and in Lyons we have found one. What I really loved for a player her age was her ability to hit the ball confidently and consistently but with pace on every swing. She made very few errors on her swings, but also wasn't just sending over easy balls either, every ball was hit with pace and oftentimes she would effectively hit it to a deep corner to score. Reagan puts up a solid block (presses over without reaching) and transitions off the net fast, making her a great option for her team both in and out of system.     Empowered 15 Black has another solid lefty in Oskey, but this time as both a setter and a RS attacker. She is the perfect player to have in a 6-2 offense because she can both run an effective and balanced offense when setting and be offensive herself when swinging on the RS. What I loved most about Elli was her controlled blocking; she blocks like someone much older. Her ability to move the block in and out and line up well depending on where the opponent's OH is swinging from, is a skill that usually develops later. She puts up a big block that allows her team to play solid defense behind her.

With clubs like Munciana, Team Indiana, Boiler Juniors and Empowered all competing for a AAU National 15s title this week in Orlando, there is plenty of undiscovered talent from Indiana just waiting to be found. The class of 2027 is still making a name for itself as this club season winds down and they didn't disappoint on day one. Here are the names you may not know yet, but need to, from the 15s division in Indiana.