My Favorite Setters From The Stock Up Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With over 100 athletes in the gym for the two-hour Stock Up Showcase this past Saturday, there were the usual suspects and those that were surprises to me. Here are a group of them, in no particular order, that stood out from the crowd.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26 [player_tooltip player_id='498026' first='Emma' last='Vachon'], 5-7, Norwell</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First off, I don't even know where Norwell IS, let alone know much about their volleyball program (near Fort Wayne is my guess). What I DO know is that Emma was a pleasant surprise among the setters that came to us at the Academy. Quick and accurate hands accompanied her quick and light feet to get her to nearly every ball that was even <em>remotely</em> passed in her general direction. There's obvious coaching there, and Miss Vachon thrives in an atmosphere that will allow her to improve. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26 [player_tooltip player_id='503934' first='Aiva' last='Kresge'], 5-9, Greenwood Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From one of the smallest schools in the state, Aiva is part of a volleyball program on the rise in 1A volleyball. Consistent and reliable, Aiva could easily run a 5-1 at a small school at the next level. She has all of the tools and the talent to do everything a setter needs to do, while also doing the dirty work (read: defense) without the need for accolades. In short, I just <em>like</em> this kid and her work ethic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 [player_tooltip player_id='489598' first='London' last='Evans'], 6-0, Carmel</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From one of the smallest schools in the state to one of the largest, London was the tallest setter of any grade in either showcase this past Saturday. More than willing to go over on two (let's face it, because she CAN), Miss Evans is fully capable of running the show on her own at any level. I like her set location and long strides to get to the ball---it looked easy for her, without a lot of struggle to do anything on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 [player_tooltip player_id='479286' first='Kyra' last='Joostberns'], 5-8, Lawrence North</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another large-school setter, Kyra is a consistent and athletic setter that will go through walls to get to the second ball. I like her ability to SPRINT to the target on every play on her side, regardless of where the ball is passed. Her hands are strong, as evidenced by "reversing the flow"----setting the ball all the way outside when it's passed off of the right side of the court, while also able to back set to the pin when the ball is passed front left. Footwork is key here, as she has clearly worked hard to be better at it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 [player_tooltip player_id='458543' first='Claire' last='Peacock'], 5-10, Crawfordsville</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yet another surprise for this author, Claire has size, length and nice hands to go with those traits. Every ball of hers was hittable, no matter where the pass was. She didn't give up on tight passes either---rarely did she go over on two---and found ways to get her hitters the ball. Considering the tough season Crawfordsville had last fall, things should improve with Claire's arrival.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 [player_tooltip player_id='514722' first='Marlee' last='Chafin'], 5-9, Southport</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another large-school setter, but this time from a program that's not quite known for their volleyball prowess. Miss Chafin had something that few other setters carried with them---maturity. She's a no-nonsense work horse that will do everything to make her team better. Location was great, tempo for each set was perfect, and she made almost every ball keep her team in system.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 [player_tooltip player_id='435850' first='Anabelle' last='Schembra'], 5-8, Center Grove</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Already coming off of a year of varsity, and playing up a season with Team Indiana's 16-1 last spring, the "stock up" part of the showcase shows off kids like Miss Schembra. She'll be joining Circle's 16-1 this coming spring, bringing a ton of talent and potential with her. She may appear undersized at first, but makes up for it with athleticism, solid decision making and an above-average volleyball acuity not normally seen in kids as young as she.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->