Fresh Freshman: New Players to Watch at the Central Zone Invite

Here at Prep Dig Indiana, we do our best to cover lots of volleyball players in the state of Indiana - especially those who have the ability to play at the next level, whether that is NAIA or Division 1. As you can imagine, it is easy for us to drop the ball because the ratio of players to scouts is VERY HIGH. With the Central Zone Invitational coming up in Indy this weekend, and every major club in Indiana playing at it, I felt that it was the perfect opportunity to introduce you to some freshman players (15u divisions) we have never covered before. So, without further ado, here are seven young ladies who are set to have a big coming out party during club season this year!    Orlando is one of two players on this list who will be competing in the Open Division this weekend. Last year she was an integral part of a 14-1s squad at Circle City that hovered in the top 5 nationally all year. Sophie brings exceptional versatility to her team, being able to excel at both the MB and RS positions. Any team would be so lucky to have a player who can play multiple positions at this high of a level! There are two main qualities that set this young lady apart for me - her confidence as an attacker to take big swings and her solid blocking ability (she has the potential on the RS to shut opposing OHs down). I look for Sophie to make her presence known to opposing hitters all weekend long, as well as for the remainder of the club season, on this highly touted Circle City squad.   Sophie will be playing in the 15 Open Division this weekend.     Martinez is the other player on this list competing in the Open Division with Team Indiana's 15-1s team, the Dawgz. She has a really solid, good fundamental platform on both defense and serve receive, and certainly controls/runs the back court when she is in. Lily is confident and steady playing defense in left back - I think that is a great spot for her - where she can dig the hard driven hit from the outside attacker and lay out for the tip from the right-side hitter. During the CZ Invite I would like to see her stay on her feet more when she runs down off speed shots and tips, allowing her to recover quicker and cover her hitters.   Lily will be playing in the 15 Open Division this weekend.     Currently playing for the 15 Vipers at Academy, Sophia is a standout on her team. She is a 6 rotation pin hitter who swings really well from both the left AND right sides. I love her long arms on her approach and how deep she gets to attack, allowing her to jump high and take big swings. Reeves is able to hit both line and cross court from both pins and she does it with power. When watching her block, you would not know she is 5'9" - she gets up and is aggressive at the net. Lastly, she passes consistently well and hustles on defense, making her the most well rounded six rotation player on this list.   Sophia will be playing in the 15 Premier Blue Division this weekend.     Miss Reinhart is an all-out, never say die, beast of a competitor. You can tell she wants to win every time she steps on the court and will do whatever it takes to help her team get the W. Another solid six rotation OH on this list, Lily stands out for her ability to put a ton of heat on the ball when she swings, as well as mix up her shots on the left side. A lot of young outsides could learn from her approach to hit - get deep and go hard EVERY TIME! Passing wise, Reinhart is solid and has clearly been taught good fundamentals. One thing she can work on to improve her game would be to get stopped on defense, allowing her to run even more balls down than she already is.   Lily is playing in the 15 Premier Red Division this weekend.     Caitlin is a player who has SERIOUS untapped potential just waiting to be unleashed in this sport. She is so athletic, quick and jumps out of the gym; she just needs a little more time and reps to put it all together. Right now, her strengths are certainly blocking and serving. Flatjord closes the block from side-to-side with ease because she is so quick laterally. From the endline she is lethal with her serve - it is hard, flat and has a ton of pace. For her Empowered 15 Onyx team she is listed as an OH, so she should really get a chance this club season to develop more of her game there (attacking, defense), but with her blocking prowess, she could easily be a great MB or RS too. Homestead has a dandy coming up the ranks!   Caitlin is playing in the 15 Club Blue Division this weekend.     Rachel spent her high school season playing varsity for Lawrence Central and ended up third on the team as a freshman in both digs per set and total digs. She is listed as an OPP/OH for the Academy 15 Copperheads, so it will be fun to see her getting more chances to swing in the front row, especially because she is such a fierce competitor. On defense, Filimoeulie is everywhere; this young lady does not want to let a ball drop anywhere near her. If she can work on her defensive and passing fundamentals (being in position to see the hitter, keeping her platform away from her body), she will be one heck of a player because of the heart, hustle and competitiveness that she clearly already possesses.   Rachel will be playing in the 15 Club Red Division this weekend.     Playing on Circle City's 15 White, Lily has all the makings to be a go-to player for this squad in the front row. She plays well above her height, being both quick in transition and jumping high on the block and attack. My favorite part of her game right now is how hard she works in transition, whether she's blocking or playing off blocker defense; Scott works extremely hard to get off the net to hit EVERY TIME. She is just a flat-out hustler! Lily also plays with a ton of joy for the game - you can tell she loves to be out there on the court - and this translates to her team for sure. If Miss Scott can work on adjusting to sets so that she can keep the ball out in front of her when she is hitting, she is going to be a force to reckon with this club season.   Lily is playing in the 15 Club White Division this weekend.    <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! 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Here at Prep Dig Indiana, we do our best to cover lots of volleyball players in the state of Indiana - especially those who have the ability to play at the next level, whether that is NAIA or Division 1. As you can imagine, it is easy for us to drop the ball because the ratio of players to scouts is VERY HIGH. With the Central Zone Invitational coming up in Indy this weekend, and every major club in Indiana playing at it, I felt that it was the perfect opportunity to introduce you to some freshman players (15u divisions) we have never covered before. So, without further ado, here are seven young ladies who are set to have a big coming out party during club season this year!