15 Open Newbies Who Caught My Eye During MEPL #1 at KIVA

This Saturday was my first chance to see a large group of Indiana club teams competing, which meant the ability for me to be able to watch freshman I had never seen before. It's hard to get a good grasp on the class of 2028 during high school season because many of them are not starting or seeing much time for their varsity squads, but the club season gives them an opportunity to stand out. Here are five young ladies who caught my attention this weekend at the Mideast Power League at KIVA in the 15/16 Division (all are 15 Open teams) who I have never scouted before and are sure to be leaders on their teams over the next several months.    Goodman was the only freshman to play varsity at Benton Central this past fall and ended up hitting an excellent .375 and tied third for aces per set on a good 27-5 squad. What caught my eye the most about Khloe was her leadership skills, excellent body language and the confidence she carries herself with when she plays. She can hit from both pins, hit all areas of the court and is very smart, making few errors. Khloe transitions deep and hard each time, which is why she is seeing lots of kills and few errors. This young player is one to watch - a solid, hardworking, all-around freshman player.     Ryelle is a 6 rotation OH who spent her high school season playing varsity for Franklin Central as a freshman - in fact, she was the only freshman to play every set. She ended up third in kills and kills per set and after watching her during MEPL I can see why. Koomler is a great communicator and leader on the court, especially in the back row. She is always ready to hit as an outlet on out of system plays and hits deep corners effectively. If she works this season on her vertical and block set up, she will continue to be a leading player for FC in the years to come.     Most 15U setters are pretty repetitive in what they set - mostly outside, with a few sets to the middle sprinkled in on perfect passes. Alexus is not your normal 2028 setter. She likes to run middles fast AND when she's off the net, pushing the 31 set especially, at a nice quick tempo. Shepherd, also sets a very consistent set to the RS, giving her hitters the ability to hit line often. A lot of the reason that Alexus has the ability to run a balanced offense even when she is pulled off the net is her fundamentals - she quickly gets to the pass and squares up before she sets. Lastly, Shepherd can be offensive too. She has a very deceptive two-handed dump to the middle of the court that she doesn't overuse but uses at the right times.     Amaya was a big part of the varsity squad at Lawrence North this year ending up third in kills per set, total kills and total blocks, and second in hitting percentage as just a freshman. In fact, she was the only freshman to start and play every set for the Wildcats. Zander can rip the ball down the line when the set is all the way out and she has a great push tip off the block she can use when the set is tight to net. I would like to see her work on transitioning off the net faster and deeper so she can use all of her power and vertical because when she gets a good, strong approach, she can be a very lethal outside hitter.     The first thing that jumped out at me about Christelle was how she transitions deep and fast almost every time, which allows her to swing really aggressively when set off the net (not tight). Snider played varsity at Harrison and was the only freshman to do so. She ended up third in blocks per set on the team for the season and that certainly doesn't surprise me after seeing her play. Christelle sets the block up well and in the right spot (most of the time) but does need to work on pressing over and not up, which is a normal part of blocking development at this age. Lastly, she brings great communication with her teammates, is very engaged with her setter and has positive body language even when she makes mistakes. If Snider continues to improve, she will be a go-to attacker for 15 Gold.    <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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This Saturday was my first chance to see a large group of Indiana club teams competing, which meant the ability for me to be able to watch freshman I had never seen before. It's hard to get a good grasp on the class of 2028 during high school season because many of them are not starting or seeing much time for their varsity squads, but the club season gives them an opportunity to stand out. Here are five young ladies who caught my attention this weekend at the Mideast Power League at KIVA in the 15/16 Division (all are 15 Open teams) who I have never scouted before and are sure to be leaders on their teams over the next several months.