Top Five 4A Teams: Defensive Minded

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They say defense wins championships. In the case of volleyball, we can lump in serve receive as well, as this author is fully aware of the teams on this list having a bit of both to show their opponents. Here are our top five 4A teams, along with a pair of defenders for each team that should translate well into October.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1: Hamilton Southeastern (23-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite losing to Roncalli, these Royals are still the class of 4A. Defense and serve receive will help offset the level of offense that HSE has in its arsenal. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='286983' first='Maye' last='McConnell']</strong> is a Munciana kid through and through, and that training alone has helped her rise the rankings for us. I also like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153105' first='Kaylyn' last='Christy'],</strong> a Southwest Oklahoma State commit. Her work ethic and resiliency after a major knee injury should tell you everything you need to know about her toughness and love for this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2: Yorktown (22-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The gap between the Tigers and the Royals is narrowing. Yorktown is really starting to hit its stride, and with the offense now running on all cylinders, Libero High School will show the rest of 4A how championships are won. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='155213' first='Addi' last='Applegate'],</strong> a Texas A&amp;M commit, is the libero for this bunch, and is more than capable of passing half the court at any time. Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586405' first='Chloe' last='Ritchie']</strong> is yet another Munciana product who's playing outside hitter, but will definitely be a high level defender in college. Neither player makes errors in defense or serve receive, and should continue to do so in October.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3: Floyd Central (21-3)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Highlanders have been the class of southern Indiana for quite some time now, especially with Castle faltering earlier this year. Defense and serve receive has definitely kept Floyd in matches for the better part of a decade, and that fact is no different with this year's squad. <strong>Eva </strong><b>Cast</b><strong>eel</strong> is probably the most consistent defender of the bunch, but there are so many that coach Bart Powell can call on that it's hard to pick just two. I'll turn to <strong>Kenzig McKinley</strong> as another defender for the Highlanders, as her senior leadership and consistent feet and platform makes the DS position look simple.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: Brownsburg (18-5)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of the teams on this list, the Bulldogs are the only team that has a setter in one of the top two spots in digs per set on their roster. Yes, yes, we know about <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='220830' first='Kate' last='Vrabel']</strong>, who looks calm and cool under pressure when everything is coming at her. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='155212' first='Aysa' last='Thomas']</strong> (Southern Indiana commit) is the surprise of this bunch, as the one part of her game that needed improvement is what's made her the complete player that she is. Her work and dedication to being one of the best defensive setters in central Indiana this year does not go unnoticed by this author. Combined, the two players listed above average eight digs per set---which is more than any other pair on this list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: Westfield (18-6)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's taken some time, but the Shamrocks are finally in the top five. With so much youth and high-level play, it's so nice to see a team that doesn't wear blue in Hamilton County play some of the best ball this author has seen in quite some time. I mentioned youth before, and I wasn't kidding---sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='483957' first='Kendyl' last='Strack']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='697432' first='Kailey' last='Sweet']</strong> combine to average almost eight digs per set, all while being responsible for a great portion of their serve receive. With all of those attackers, it's hard to imagine them being this good without great passing, which the 'Rocks have in bunches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->