Emptying The Notebook: Younger Early Bird Talents Everywhere!

I am simply amazed at the sheer NUMBER of athletic and strong athletes that attend this tournament year after year. After all, this is supposed to be the kick off to the club season, so it stands to reason that there will be some teams that aren't quite where they're going to be in March or April. However, on the second Sunday of January, these kids look ready for primetime, so to speak. Here are six athletes from three different clubs that caught my attention with their play.    If you need a no-nonsense, high-volleyball IQ setter that can thump it with her left arm regularly in the class of '27, look no further than Miss Oskey. The captain of PHP's 16-1, Elli comes from a championship pedigree at Carroll, and will be part of their very successful future for years to come. As a setter, she locates the ball well and in tempo. As an attacker, she's intentional with her swings, makes very few errors, and always finds a way to keep her team in the positive. I was VERY impressed with this young lady's comportment, even when things got tough or high-strung late in matches.     Wait, ANOTHER high-end Carroll prospect? These Chargers just reload year after year. Sarah is a D1 six-rotation prospect if there ever was one. She's a grip-it-and-rip-it server, a thumper from everywhere, and her serve receive is already above average for her size and age. I would not be surprised if she was already at ten feet on her attack touch, if not moreso. She made a lot of defenses look silly trying to block/dig her on Sunday, and as the day wore on, it's as if she got STRONGER. This is a kid well worth the watch, and should be payed attention to sooner rather than later. I look forward to her progress and maturity.     On the other pin for PHP's 16-1 is a Munciana transfer that hits a heavy ball and is a tough one to defend. She might be a bit undersized at this position, but Makayla more than makes up for it with the strength she puts behind the ball on the attack. Smart when she needs to be and lethal when in-system, Miss Moulton is a great complement to Sarah on the left pin and will be a primary attacker for Yorktown for the forseeable future.     It's been a while since I've mentioned ANYONE over six feet at Providence, but here we are. Miss Manos thumps off of two feet and held her own against older teams in the top 15/16 division on Sunday. I'd like to see a bigger selection of shots from her down the road, but for the first tournament, playing against mostly 16s teams, Isabella was a physical force in the middle. I'm looking forward to a continued connection with her Kentucky-based setter, as their familiarity will definitely dictate her progress. She even hit the floor a few times on defense after her serve to show that yes, big kids can play floor defense too.     This young lady has come out of nowhere for me. A three-sport athlete at Forest Park, Avery is a tall and long presence that can put balls away as a middle or as a right side, and did just that on Sunday. I think she needs a little more width to her block, but after her first tournament on Sunday, she impressed me with her ability and willingness to go for it on every swing, and bounce a few balls in the process. You can't teach size, and Avery has every bit of it in her multi sport frame.     I've always admitted that I don't know southwestern Indiana at all, and Alexis' presence proved that for me. Long and lean and MORE than able to defend from pin to pin, Miss Kermode has M2 written all over her future. She's another kid that's a little too narrow on the block, but she more than makes up for it with long legs that can defend the entire length of the net, and proved as such on Sunday. Spots of brilliance also came out in her attack, though I'd like to see a faster armswing from her in the future. No matter, with a little time and training, she'll get stronger and faster this season. I look forward to what she looks like in March and April.

I am simply amazed at the sheer NUMBER of athletic and strong athletes that attend this tournament year after year. After all, this is supposed to be the kick off to the club season, so it stands to reason that there will be some teams that aren't quite where they're going to be in March or April. However, on the second Sunday of January, these kids look ready for primetime, so to speak. Here are six athletes from three different clubs that caught my attention with their play.