Who's That Girl?! New To Us DS/Ls Who Made Their Mark at the Expo

There is nothing more exciting than discovering a great player for the first time; it has absolutely become one of my favorite things about watching and scouting volleyball. So, when I came to the Indiana Top 250 Expo and saw there were quite a few defensive players who we had never seen or written about before, I knew it was going to be a fun day. These seven unknown-to-me players all made their mark on me for different reasons. Whether it was hustle, attitude, skill or selflessness, each one displayed qualities which are very important if you want to play at a high level. Here are the young ladies who had me saying, "Who's that girl?!"    Marleigh traveled all the way from Michigan to compete in the Expo and I am so glad she did! This young lady was all over the court on defense - there was not one ball that I saw her let hit the floor. Ford was a complete workhorse from the first whistle on and made her presence known by being focused and moving fast through every drill. She not only hustled for every ball in serve receive and digging drills, but she also ran to the end of the line and when shagging balls EVERY TIME - these are intangibles that are hard to teach, but invaluable to have in a player. Marleigh has a quiet confidence about her on the court and is an excellent communicator with her teammates. She was certainly one of my fave DS's to watch and I found myself drawn to watch her play over and over throughout the course of the event.     Doak was the only sophomore DS on her Hamilton Heights varsity team (that went 25-5) who saw consistent playing time this past season and it's easy to see why. She has a really solid passing platform and is calm and collected in serve receive. All defenders need to be constantly dialed in and focused, ready to react, and Addie certainly is. Couple that with an innate sense of hustle and excitement at all times and you have yourself a solid libero in the making with Doak. Lastly, out of all the DS's Addie seemed to be one of the most comfortable with using her hands on defense and with out of system setting - this class of '27 DS is a baller in the making!     Reel was one of the top hustlers at this year's Expo, bringing insane energy and communication throughout the 2.5-hour event. In serve receive she always follows and tracks the ball to the endlines and sidelines, as well as backs up whoever she is passing next to. Adriana has great fundamentals when passing, where she forms her angle early and holds her platform after passing. My favorite part of her game is definitely the way she encourages her teammates - she didn't know the players she was with for 6v6 drills, but you better believe that didn't stop her from getting hype for them!     Neelah was one of the first defensive players from the sophomore class to catch my eye. Her energy, talk and focus are impossible to ignore, and I always find it amazing when a young player can compete like this when playing with a bunch of people they have never met before. I believe that is a sign of a natural and gifted competitor. Biswas is an excellent passer in serve receive with a solid platform and fundamentals. I also love that she stays on her feet as much as possible on defense without unnecessarily hitting the floor on short balls. Lastly, Neelah had the confidence to come up to me and chat - I admire any young lady who can approach an adult and start a conversation. Well done Neelah!     Medley comes to us from two volleyball staples - Noblesville HS and Munciana Volleyball. The great training she receives at both of these places was on display this past Saturday. Munciana has a special knack for turning out solid defensive players who are gritty, hardworking and great communicators; Chloe embodies all of those things for sure. I liked her play in left back the most where she could dig the hard driven ball well but could also use her quickness to run down tips and hit the floor if needed. Medley is definitely not one to let a ball drop. She is a great jump float server who put pressure on the opposing passers every time with her hard driven, lots-of-movement serves.     Having played varsity this past season with other sophomore standouts [player_tooltip player_id='730299' first='Bethany' last='Ring'] and [player_tooltip player_id='730315' first='Ella' last='Mensch'], Laney has clearly gained the experience necessary to be a confident defender on the court. During both drills and 6v6 play she stepped up as a leader, constantly talking and encouraging anyone who was with her on the floor whether she knew them or not. Her solid fundamental training at Munciana is paying dividends for her game when defending - she is stopped on contact, in a great low and ready to move position and can read and react to the ball well for her age. I'll be excited to see what her role is for the 16 National Tigers this club season and how she progresses on the serve receive side of her position.     Karlee clearly has a knack for the hustle and intense competition side of being a DS/L. She came to the Expo ready to work hard and compete, despite this likely being her first time at an event of this size and caliber. On defense, she stays low and isn't afraid to hit the floor, if necessary, but can also defend a hard driven ball hit right at her. Gonzalez has a laser for a serve, and it is certainly a weapon that any team would be lucky to have. If she can work on consistently keeping that serve in and also remaining calm while passing in serve receive over this club season, LCA is going to have a great libero for the next couple of years.    <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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There is nothing more exciting than discovering a great player for the first time; it has absolutely become one of my favorite things about watching and scouting volleyball. So, when I came to the Indiana Top 250 Expo and saw there were quite a few defensive players who we had never seen or written about before, I knew it was going to be a fun day. These seven unknown-to-me players all made their mark on me for different reasons. Whether it was hustle, attitude, skill or selflessness, each one displayed qualities which are very important if you want to play at a high level. Here are the young ladies who had me saying, "Who's that girl?!"