Pins I Liked At The Top 250 Expo Indiana

We're still going through our notes on the 100+ athletes that descended upon The Academy on Saturday morning. There were so many to talk about that we're splitting our articles up all week to give unmatched, comprehensive coverage that you just won't get from any other showcase in Central Indiana. Here are nine pin attackers I liked, what they bring to the table, and what their futures might hold.    If you're going to come to these types of events, you might as well have some fun. Grace's effort and attitude spilled into her play, and it was a pleasure watching her rip some balls from both pins. She even took time to spell the middles in a 6-on-6 drill, and after the initial goofiness of playing out of position, Miss Troxell put some balls away and blocked a couple for good measure. This is a good kid with athleticism to burn that can play either pin at the next level for a small school near you.     With a whip of an arm and a high attack point, Everly spent a good majority of last club season being a primary outside for a small club. Now rostered on Circle's 16 Black (16-2), we'll get a better understanding of how she stacks up in a tougher club schedule. She's a primary-passing six-rotation outside that can do a little of everything for a club that needs a hybrid athlete on the left pin. Her quick transition will also help her get to trap sets and out-of-system balls more easily.     The profile pic to the left of this article should tell you everything you need to know about Ella's athleticism and jumping ability, all as a sophomore. Listed as a right side, I've seen her play both pins in her last two seasons (club, HS), so she's capable of interchanging when needed. My guess is that she's more of a right side because of those long arms and solid block that she posts on the right pin. No matter which pin she's on, she's also a solid passer in serve receive and can anticipate well on floor defense.     Big and physical, Hayden can hammer away at unsuspecting blocks in both in-system and out-of-system situations. Right now, she's a three-rotation pin who is probably better suited to the outside because of the work load her shoulder is more than capable of handling. She spent a lot of Saturday dealing with multiple setters, and adjusted to them all. She's a big fan of hammering 2-balls out of the middle, no matter which pin she's coming from.     A solid role player for perennial 4A powerhouse Castle, Gabby is big enough to be a problem for opposing attackers while making smart decisions on the attack and scoring 2-3 points per set regularly. On Saturday, she spent a lot of time on the left pin, and is capable of hitting all of the shots necessary to score points against above-average competition.     Long and lean and left-handed, Brooklyn is a force when the set is in tempo. Her ability to get up and go get a tight set and terminate will be her calling card in her future. A right side through and through, her back row development is slowly maturing, even since we saw her last in August. I like her high attack point and her ability to terminate regularly.     Upon arrival, I immediately deferred Harper to the DS group. Then she started attacking. Miss Gentry has a heavy hand and a quick arm that makes her attack harder to block than most in her graduating class, and she showed as much when the 6-on-6 was split into each class. She's also solid in serve receive as well as floor defense, making her an ideal small school recruit that can do a little of everything no matter what you need. You can find Harper on Circle's 15 Volt roster.     Staying with Circle, but this time their top 15s team (Purple), Blaine is a high-flying, hard-hitting athlete on the outside that can take over a match if you let her. I still have to double check her graduating class every time I see her play, since she's plays with so much more maturity than your average freshman. Relentless on the attack, she even has the wherewithal to know what shots to hit when, and with what pace and placement. This is a no-doubt recruit in this class that has made her mark in TWO of our showcases already. We'll keep an extra eye out on her progress, which should be meteoric.     Speed, speed and more speed, with a big heaping side of explosiveness. 4A state champ Katelyn is a primary-passing, six-rotation outside that is as explosive as they come, all with the volleyball acuity to minimize errors---a set of traits that you just don't see with freshmen. Her whip of an arm, coupled with a max jump bordering on ten feet, make any tempo offense look THAT much faster. If you doubt my speed comments, the middle school track records (100h and 200h) she currently holds should tell you everything you need to know.

We're still going through our notes on the 100+ athletes that descended upon The Academy on Saturday morning. There were so many to talk about that we're splitting our articles up all week to give unmatched, comprehensive coverage that you just won't get from any other showcase in Central Indiana. Here are nine pin attackers I liked, what they bring to the table, and what their futures might hold.