My All-Expo Team For The Top 250 Expo Indiana

After sifting through all of my notes on all of the 100+ kids' skill sets, we've come up with an All-Expo team, the equivalent of an All-Star team for our showcase this past Saturday. All nine of these athletes really showed out, went the extra mile on effort and attitude and were, at times, unstoppable during the drills and the 6-on-6 portion of the day. Here they are, in no particular order.    Already receiving AAU All-American honors in previous club seasons, Shania showed us exactly what she's made of. She's a primary-passing, six-rotation, full-go and no-quit outside that is relentless on the attack and even more so in serve receive and defense. Regardless of the setter or the situation, Miss Rhamy found ways to regularly score points, whether it was behind the baseline, crafting a shot at the net or hammering away. This is a next-level recruit if there ever was one, as she reminds me of current OH at Dayton and Noblesville alumna Lexi Almodovar.     Too often, I see big pin attackers that can ONLY hit hard. It was a pleasant surprise to see Luca fully capable of being a six-rotation outside at the next level, all with size and power. Although she's playing club outside of the state of Indiana, her training she's received since last club season has made this young lady rise in the rankings quickly, and it's only a matter of time before she starts receiving offers from upper-level four-year schools.     Big and physical, Samantha was a force on the right side all day on Saturday. Between her blocking, her shot selection and her overall power, Miss Adams has a nice combination of size and agility that are unmatched in both this position and in her graduating class. The kids that comes to these showcases of ours all have one thing in common---they know volleyball and how the game works. A true test of an upper-level player is how they adjust to the brand new teammates around them. Let's be honest; the average setter doesn't set the right side consistently. That fact didn't seem to faze Miss Adams, and she still found ways to terminate.     One of two setters listed here, I've watched Kyra grow into an athletic and agile leader of the court over the past year plus. Her hands are high and strong, she can get to any out-of-system ball and make it better for her teammates, and was seemingly directing her team to winning drills regularly this past Saturday. The setter of a 5-1 has to be the whole package, not just "nice hands". Kyra is all of that, and showed us what it looks like.     Silky smooth as a setter and rarely making errors as an attacker, Maggie is every bit the part of a hybrid 6-2 setter. When attacking, she hits high and hard, making opposing blocks nearly obsolete with her attack touch. While setting, her calm and athletic nature got her to every ball, which of course helps when you're 6'1". Her placement is above-average, she never seems like she's in a hurry, and calmly does her job well. I can't pin down which skill she's better at, so we'll go with both. Because of that, Maggie's stock has risen significantly with this expo alone, and I look forward to seeing her development on the court this spring.     The unquestioned top middle at the Expo this past Saturday, Finley showed what a developing middle should look like. Adept at attacking in front of or behind the setter, using her length to defend the net from pin to pin and always available to swing, Miss Smith showed a motor that just isn't seen in middles, let alone middles this young. I'm so used to kids still growing into their size at this age---almost a newborn giraffe-type of build and physicality. Finley is more mature at the position than most, including other graduating classes.     As the only state champ on this list, Paityn is part of a perennial 4A powerhouse in the Fort Wayne area. Big and physical, Miss Lauck's ability to attack in front of and behind the setter can translate into being either an M1 or an M2 at the next level, and we'll be able to see more of that at Empowered this coming spring. She uses her size and strength to her advantage---she hits hard when needed, and is big enough to see over and around blocks to make a well-placed shot score. Overall, Paityn is one of the more well-rounded middles and, at this age, is already doing upper-level things in the middle that her fellow classmates can only dream about.     Ask anyone what I think of defensive specialists, and the answer usually is "there's a reason why coaches wait to recruit them". There's just SOOOO many. However, with Morgan in our gym on Saturday, she's given me pause to my way of thinking. Willing to do the dirty work, hit the floor, crash into benches---Miss Osborn more than makes up for her size with her nonstop motor and work ethic. She even stepped in to set a little in the 6-on-6 portion of the drills on Saturday. Remember my statement from above? Morgan crushes my opinion and completely changes my thinking of her position. I got a chance to see her play earlier this fall, and look forward to seeing her do her thing on Academy's 17-1 this coming spring.     You can't really talk about DS's unless a Yorktown (Libero High School?) kid is mentioned. Vivian, like a LOT of liberi that come through the halls of Yorktown, has active feet, a calm platform, and a relentless pursuit of perfection. Constantly and consistently working with her fellow floor mates, Miss Stevenson was in on a ton of passes while owning half the floor in serve receive regularly. That Munciana ball control training shone through on Saturday, and will be her calling card in her future recruitment.

After sifting through all of my notes on all of the 100+ kids' skill sets, we've come up with an All-Expo team, the equivalent of an All-Star team for our showcase this past Saturday. All nine of these athletes really showed out, went the extra mile on effort and attitude and were, at times, unstoppable during the drills and the 6-on-6 portion of the day. Here they are, in no particular order.