My Favorite Setters From The Freshman Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our Freshman Showcase at the Academy on Saturday, August 3 was nothing short of a success. With 60+ athletes in attendance, we shattered our attendance record from last summer's showcase. To be honest, the talent level was also significantly higher this season than any other, making this year's set of articles that much more full. Here are my favorite setters from yesterday's Freshman Showcase, in no particular order.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='543387' first='Evie' last='Mounce'], 5-8, Normal Community (Illinois)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yes, the first kid I write about isn't even from Indiana. It's important to note that, from the jump, Miss Mounce was immediately showing a leadership role in everything she did. From staying vocal and cheering on her fellow setters, to engaging with her hitters and getting them on the same page, to even taking some feedback and asking for more. Her maturity and skill carried her throughout the day, making play after play despite the constantly changing hitters she was setting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ava Kirby, 5-6, Notre Dame (Ohio)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I really did enjoy seeing kids from different parts of the midwest show us what they were made of. Despite her size, Ava showed exactly what got her here---soft hands and a volleyball acuity that let her anticipate what to do with the next ball. No, she's not going to outsize anyone. That being said, Ava could be part of a 6-2 that allows her to show off what makes her good; accuracy and her soft hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='586459' first='Ava' last='Jones'], 5-8, Center Grove</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My second Ava on my list is the first mention of Indiana in today's edition. Long, lean, and playing bigger than her frame, Miss Jones' aggressive play got her to far more passes than someone this age should be able to. I also like the aggression she showed when going over on two contacts. Knowing that she could produce a point or two here or there to keep defenses honest was nice to see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='583790' first='Alexus' last='Shepherd'], 5-6, Castle</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the Evansville area, Alexus showed great footwork and an even better ability to communicate with her fellow teammates once the games began. Miss Shepherd comes from a perennial 4A Indiana power, and her above-age-bracket maturity showed her ability to take on this game fully. Here's to hoping that her development continues and we see more of her success down the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='582888' first='Caitlyn' last='Gutt'], 5-10, Fishers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A recent transfer to Fishers with her volleyball-playing sister, Caitlyn can also spend time playing right side if and when it's needed. On this day, she spent the majority of the time owning better footwork than most and perfecting her set location. Being a hybrid setter makes her that much more marketable moving forward, but I would like to see her maintain focus on her setting, as she's already an above average one in the making.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='586941' first='Aubriana' last='Bumpass'], 5-8, Crown Point</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From "the region", Aubriana made it a point to tell me personally that she definitely plays BOTH setter and right side. I liked her swings she took, but her natural ability to set set her apart from the other athletes in her position. Her movements as a setter were smooth and pure, and her athleticism showed, especially on out-of-system passes. Her softball background allows her to be THAT much more quick and her anticipation proved it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Millie Katie Fox, 5-9, Saint Joseph</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From way up north in the South Bend area, Miss Fox plays and acts much bigger than her frame would otherwise indicate. She showed off that size with some solid blocking skills and her ability to go get passes that appeared too tight for others. I felt a disconnect with her middles early on, so maybe she can work with coaches that excel in dealing zero-tempo balls on a regular basis to solidify that part of her game. That being said, she was a nice departure from the shorter-than-average setters that are all over the class of '28.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='582965' first='Paislee' last='Terry'], 5-9, Delta</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A Munciana kid through and through, it was fun to watch Paislee work. Smooth-handed and quick-footed, Miss Terry was the <em>only</em> setter to jump set every ball passed her way. Her location was sound, her tempo was solid, and she has an innate ability to allow her hitters to be the best version of themselves simply because of her location and speed of set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='586947' first='Carly' last='Rowlett'], 5-7, Hamilton Southeastern</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small but accurate, Carly looks like a standard setter for HSE---fast, accurate and no-nonsense. Even though she might project to being a 6-2 system setter at the next level, her development is already advanced because of that athleticism and knowledge of what to do with the ball no matter where it's passed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='556661' first='Adria' last='Jump'], 5-6, Sheridan</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hidden gem who played club at Monon Select last spring, Adria had an immediate connection with her middles in one of the first drills of the day. Locating numerous zero-tempo balls for different types of hitters consistently was Miss Jump's calling card on Saturday, which is very hard to do not only for her age, but also for her (lack of) familiarity with said hitters. She also, at times, appeared to play bigger than her frame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='586964' first='Leah' last='Adams'], 5-5, Carroll</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yet another volleyball-centric find from this Fort Wayne powerhouse, Leah will be a solid addition to any team looking for a three-rotation setter in a 6-2. On this day, Miss Adams was one of, if not THE most accurate setter at the combine. Yes, she's small, which you can't fake. But you also can't fake her hyperaccurate placement of every set every time. From a former setter and a former coach of setters, that's <em>really</em> hard to teach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='582289' first='Olivia' last='Slaughter'], 5-8, Lincoln Way East (Illinois)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our third setter mentioned from out of state was a walk-in registrant. Showing soft and strong hands from the first ball contact, Olivia was one of the first ones in line when we got our day started and got a lot of hitters involved almost immediately. She even found the time to hit me up with a few questions on how to improve, despite her good day on the court. She has some balance to work on moving forward, but when she gets her feet to the ball, her athleticism and instincts take over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->