The Tradition of Great Defensive Players in Indiana Continues On

These class of 2026 and 2027 defensive specialists from Indiana may not be necessarily new to us here at Prep Dig, but they all certainly earned the right to be mentioned again. Each of these young ladies caught my attention for varying reasons over the course of the Indiana Top 250 Expo, whether it was their never give up attitude on defense, their calm and steady serve receive or their willingness to encourage others no matter what. Our state turns out incredible DS/Ls year after year, (think Emma Halter and Lola Schumacher) and with these sophomores and juniors putting in the work they are, it looks like the future of the position in Indiana is in great hands!    Isabel was a court regular for this year's Indiana 2A state champs, Western Boone, and ended up fourth on the team in digs behind DI players like [player_tooltip player_id='154814' first='Raegan' last='Durbin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='192107' first='Sadie' last='Poeck']. She has seriously good fundamentals (thanks Boiler Jrs), especially in serve receive where she was one of the best at the Expo when it came to passing a deep float. The other skill that really stood out to me and elevated Adams above the rest was her ability to set extremely well - an excellent quality to have when opposing teams funnel balls to your setter trying to get you out of system.     Well, let's start with the one skill that Brianna did that made me absolutely smile...BLOCK! At 5'6" this young lady can put up a solid block in the front row. I know she likely won't use it much as a DS, but imagine if her team runs out of subs? They will be in good hands with Allen, plus her ability to block shows her exceptional athleticism. She is a hustler at all times, leads the floor well and clearly knows the game. Out of all the DS/Ls, Allen was one of the best at passing the short ball in serve receive. Having spent time at McCutcheon and Boiler Jrs, it's clear to see that her training is paying off and she is poised to be a solid libero.     Ava is a definite floor leader - a quality every defensive specialist who wants to be a libero needs to have! She is confident in her play and is always communicating with those around her, which is a skill that really shines at these types of showcases, especially when you play with people you have never met before. Bercot has the solid fundamentals you look for in an upperclassmen on both serve receive and defense. She will be a good pickup at the next level (she is a junior right now), seeing as she is currently uncommitted.     Borders is only a sophomore, but she plays MUCH older than her age; she is smooth and confident on the court, playing like a senior captain would play. Cicily was one of the faster defensive players out of the entire expo, able to run down short balls and keep from hitting the ground too often. Add to that quickness her ability to hit from the back row efficiently and her wicked float serve, and you can see that Circle City 15 Black has a solid DS/L in Borders. I look forward to seeing her chasing down balls we think she couldn't possibly get to this club season.     Inman was one of my top passers from the Expo overall. She keeps her platform away from her body consistently and is focused and confident - the type of DS you love to pass next to in serve receive. Courtney is also really good on out of system balls with her platform, where she puts up a high, slightly inside the court, not too tight set for her hitters to be successful with. Lastly, Inman has a nasty, flat, deep float serve which gave her several aces and many out of system balls for the opposing passers. She is certainly a sophomore DS/L that is one to watch - I'm excited to see her development over the club season with Summit, especially to watch how she can grow as a floor leader.     If you've ever seen Martin play you will quickly see there is one skill that clearly elevates her from the rest of the defensive players, especially those who are just sophomores - her setting. This DS can put up a hittable ball from pretty much anywhere on the court (with her hands), whether she is running full speed towards the net or chasing a ball towards the stands. Krea is such an asset to have for this reason alone! But it's not just about setting with this young lady because she has a solid foundation for all the skills including passing, digging, serving and just flat-out hustle. Martin is a SMART, well-rounded player at a young age who is quickly making a name for herself.     During the Expo, Anna was all over the court, refusing to let any balls drop on her side of the floor. She has a quiet confidence about her; Joostberns is not the loudest player on the court, but she certainly leads by her hustle play and hard work. For being a sophomore, she really seems to understand the flow of the game, how it breathes in and out. Anna never misses a chance after passing to cover and then quickly transitions to defense and then back to cover again - she clearly understands the position and the game! Lastly, she is a great communicator. Even though she wasn't the loudest, that didn't mean she wasn't in constant communication with the other players around her.    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">If you loved this article, please follow our Instagram page, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abovethenetvolleyball">Prep Dig IN | Above The Net Volleyball</a> for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes action.</h3>   After following our page, take the next step and subscribe to PrepDig! By subscribing, you'll not only stay connected to the latest coverage of your favorite events, but you'll also be helping to shine a spotlight on rising volleyball talent.   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These class of 2026 and 2027 defensive specialists from Indiana may not be necessarily new to us here at Prep Dig, but they all certainly earned the right to be mentioned again. Each of these young ladies caught my attention for varying reasons over the course of the Indiana Top 250 Expo, whether it was their never give up attitude on defense, their calm and steady serve receive or their willingness to encourage others no matter what. Our state turns out incredible DS/Ls year after year, (think Emma Halter and Lola Schumacher) and with these sophomores and juniors putting in the work they are, it looks like the future of the position in Indiana is in great hands!