Available 26s Playing 17 Open At Central Zones This Weekend

Moving on from the 25s is hard, but needs to be done. By the end of March, two months from now (!!!), our 25s will have received all of the club attention they can without going to GJNC 18s in April. For me, that means the main focus will be on the junior class, A.K.A. the class of '26. Here are five athletes from five different clubs playing in the 17 Open division of Central Zones this weekend at the Indiana Convention Center.    Springy and quick on transition, Maddie is an M2 with the ability to be an M1 at the next level. Although her transition makes her extra fast and ready to attack in front of the setter, her ability to go get the ball behind the setter matches her speed with her whip of an arm. I'm a fan of her ENTIRE game---offense, defense and willingness to do the dirty work to get it done for whatever squad she's on. There aren't too many that go faster than she, in this or any class.     Big and physical, there aren't too many middles with Miss Snyder's size AND length in this class. On net defense, she's broad-shouldered, making her tough to hit around or through. On offense, she's quick on transition and attacks high and hard, turning smaller blocks into mere tools to hit off of and over. Her improvement over the years has been steady but consistent, which is more than I can say for a lot of middles in this class. Plus, you can't teach 6'3", which is an even rarer find in Indiana.     When Ella gets a hold of an attack, the ball just SOUNDS different coming off of her hand. Able to hit any zero-tempo attack in front of or behind the setter, Miss Vandermark has a D1-bound setter feeding her perfect sets regularly, which should show Miss V's skills in her most important recruiting year. Her long arms also allow her to defend from pin to pin well. All of these skills put together make Ella one of the more well-rounded middle recruits in this class, and her open-level schedule this spring will solidify her ability to play tough competition for years to come.     The setter for the 4A reigning state champs here in Indiana, Sophia is a lightning-fast setter with technically sound footwork and strong hands that can set any ball from pin to pin. On more than one occasion in the state final against Yorktown, Miss Gisslen turned a bad pass into an in-system ball, making her attackers THAT much more lethal on the biggest stage. Sophia also does all of this without flash and showmanship---an unassuming setter that leads by example is a perfect kid to lead a 5-1 offense, all with a work ethic that screams "gym rat". I still find it hard to believe that she's available, yet here we are.     Crushing the ball at the net as much as from behind the baseline is Rose's calling card. A full-go and no-quit outside that has been relentless in her arm swing for the Grizzly Cubs for quite a few years now, I have to believe that Rose's size is the only thing holding her back from a legitimate offer. Even if you don't like the size, her jumping ability more than makes up for it, jumping at a ten foot level for at least a year now. Miss Mahin knows who she is; hit high and hard, be fast and go for it.     Another available kid from Carroll's 4A title team, Bailey is a six-rotation, primary-passing outside that can jump out of the gym and attack with pace. She doesn't like the spotlight, but it manages to find her with all of that athleticism and exceptional play. She's made more than a few teams look silly in defending her, as she has every shot in the book a D1 outside needs to have. One of the more complete outsides in this class, Bailey is a coach's kid who understands work ethic, winning and volleyball acuity.     Although listed as a middle here, Natalie does her best damage from the right pin, and is a pain to hit past on defense. I like her willingness to play any position she can to get (and stay) on the court. Playing for a perennial 4A top-ten squad at CG, Natalie is used to working hard, winning and having a full-go mentality on the court. Her size, strength and all-around knowledge of the game should and will carry her far in the near future.

Moving on from the 25s is hard, but needs to be done. By the end of March, two months from now (!!!), our 25s will have received all of the club attention they can without going to GJNC 18s in April. For me, that means the main focus will be on the junior class, A.K.A. the class of '26. Here are five athletes from five different clubs playing in the 17 Open division of Central Zones this weekend at the Indiana Convention Center.