2025 Club Preview: FaR Out 17 Black

<p><em><strong>Be sure to follow @lshotvb on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lshotvb/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">Tik Tok </a>and <a href="https://x.com/LineShotVBall">Twitter</a> for all things volleyball!</strong></em></p>   <p>–</p>   <p>FaR Out has yet another squad on the rise. This 17 Black team is a mix of a lot of rising prospects that have come on strong within the last year or so. </p>   <p>Despite a large chunk of this class being pulled up to play on the 18 Black team, 17 Black remains a contender for a great season ahead. A lot of new names have been added to the cannon and I am excited to see them compete at the top level. 17 Black is coached by <strong>Alan Kaufman</strong> and assisted by <strong>Katie Lutjens</strong>.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='226939' first='Maggie' last='Szlachcic'] - Hudsonville*</td><td>Kamsi Iweajunwa - Grand Ledge</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='226890' first='Emma' last='Duffy'] - Lakewood</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='446694' first='Amelia' last='Gagnon'] - West Catholic</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='490369' first='Rylee' last='Stanley-Eldred'] - East Grand Rapids*</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='490350' first='Maddie' last='Jipping'] - Hamilton</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='481379' first='Rylie' last='Barriger'] - Lowell*</td><td><strong>Ariyanna Johnson - East Lansing*</strong></td><td><strong>Larkin Baima - Mattawan*</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='220968' first='Quinn' last='Yenshaw'] - Traverse City St. Francis*</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='490341' first='Madeline' last='Ostrander'] - GR Catholic Central*</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">*-Uncommitted</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Range on the Pins</h2>   <p>This group has options upon options when it comes to pin production. On the left side, I wouldn't be surprised to see the duo of [player_tooltip player_id='226939' first='Maggie' last='Szlachcic'] and [player_tooltip player_id='220968' first='Quinn' last='Yenshaw'] solidify themselves very early on. Both of the two are coming off of impressive fall seasons with their respective high schools. Szlachic saw a lot of action this fall on both pins, becoming quite the terminator in either wing. Yenshaw on the other hand was the Traverse City St. Francis' go to weapon. Her game saw huge gains in the fall and in turn became the driving force in TCSF repeating their run to the championship match in Division 3.</p>   <p>There could be a few players that we could see on the opposite slot, but one that will surely lead the way is [player_tooltip player_id='490350' first='Maddie' last='Jipping'] (Oakland). A heavy armed lefty, Jipping seemingly came out of nowhere last club season. She plays the game with a lot of power and has spent time in the middle over the course of her career which explains her fast arm. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Athleticism in the Middle</h2>   <p>17 Black is riding with four listed middle blockers. Amongst these four players, there is tons of athleticism and tons of potential to weave in and out of positions, on and off the court at any given moment.</p>   <p>One of the biggest question marks in the middle is <strong>Larkin Baima</strong>. A new member for this program out of Mattawan, Baima has played her entire career in the middle, however they have her listed as a MB/OPP. I could see why, too. With FaR Out's interest in 6-2 systems and Baima's ability to terminate off of one foot, this makes her a prime candidate to be the other opposite, alongside Jipping, and give this team a whole different look for three rotations.</p>   <p>Alongside Baima though, we have a trio of tradition middles that I could see rotate amongst each other throughout the year. Another intriguing addition to FO is <strong>Kamsi Iweajunwa </strong>(Oakland) out of Grand Ledge. She's an undersized, but high flying, middle committed to Oakland with Jipping. I'll love to see how she develops and translates at the open level.</p>   <p>Like Iweajunwa, <strong>Ariyanna Johnson</strong> is another newbie to this program and, again, another excited player to watch develop. Another undersized, explosive dandy, Johnson is quite dynamic and can throw the ball around with ease.</p>   <p>Lastly for the middles, we have a returner in [player_tooltip player_id='490341' first='Madeline' last='Ostrander'], a strong prospect out of Catholic Central. Ostrander is a cerebral attacker in the middle and a hard working blocker. She has been a mainstay with this team throughout the last few seasons.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Power & Tough Setters</h2>   <p>This team's MO is going to definitely be in the defensive department. They're loaded in the back court with not only a duo of impressive DS/Ls but their setters can get down and gritty with the best of them. The duo looking to battle it out for the libero jersey will be Rylee Stanley Eldred and [player_tooltip player_id='446694' first='Amelia' last='Gagnon'] (Hope). Both of which have seen serious gains in performance in the last year or so. We could very much see Stanley Eldred with a lot of time in the jersey purely due to Gagnon's ability to weave in and out of positions. Gagnon has done a lot of heavy lifting in the past as a six rotation outside hitter. Both of them on the court, in the 6-2 system offers up a lot of top notch ball control.</p>   <p>For the setters, the duo of [player_tooltip player_id='226890' first='Emma' last='Duffy'] (Milwaukee) and [player_tooltip player_id='481379' first='Rylie' last='Barriger'] has been one we've come accustomed to over the last few seasons. This is a duo that seems to play very styles of volleyball. Not only in their defensive prowess but in their delivery and location of the ball. Both players are considered quite undersized for their position. However, this aids in the hitters ability to track the ball from a consistent height. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Season Predictions</h2>   <p>There is a lot of new when it comes to this 17 Black team. A lot of new and a lot of potential. The additions to the program in the likes of Iweajunwa and Johnson add a very nice layer of physicality. This crew could very well make a case for a dark horse at any given tournament. </p>   <p>Again, this will be another strong team for FaR Out. Looking ahead into the season, this is a team that could vie for a title in 17 Premier or do extremely well in the 17 Open at AAU Nationals. </p>

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