Previewing Nike Classic 15 Open

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The upcoming Nike Classic is one of the best early-season opportunities to see a broad collection of Ohio teams and individual talent. With four teams full of Ohio talent are seeded among the top-10 (and #1 in their respective pools), here is a quick look at the 15 Open division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#2 Seed: AVC 15 Red</strong><br>One of the pieces for this team I am excited to see is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='749315' first='Taylor' last='Simmons']</strong> as she makes the move to AVC this season. She has great athleticism, with good lift and versatility to score in the middle or at the pin. Another athlete with good versatility is [player_tooltip player_id='582208' first='Eliana' last='Ashley'] who showed big impact with her arm through the middle and at times at the right pin. She has a high ceiling and good physicality and came in as our #1 ranked 2028 in the initial prospect rankings for this Ohio class. [player_tooltip player_id='582209' first='Frankie' last='Brkic'] and [player_tooltip player_id='582210' first='Grace' last='Regula'] are two very consistent pin attackers and will see a lot of point scoring opportunities for this team. They both exhibit good court awareness and decision-making in the types of swings they will take based upon the defense in front of them. Role players that will contribute a lot are setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='563105' first='Kaylie' last='Liepins']</strong> and libero [player_tooltip player_id='512410' first='Lola' last='Loncar']. Both are solid in what they do and how they support the offense through the both the first and second contacts. This team has a large roster and it will be fun to see how they develop their depth in the coming months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#4 Seed: [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 15 Tony</strong><br>Setter [player_tooltip player_id='582202' first='Kelsey' last='Green'] is establishing herself as one of the better young setters in Ohio. She understands the game well and can deliver a balanced offense. [player_tooltip player_id='519643' first='Evie' last='Schiller'] is a 2027 prospect who at 5'7 has good attacking mechanics and can generate big arm speed. She will contribute at the pins along with [player_tooltip player_id='582204' first='Mia' last='Schmitt'] and [player_tooltip player_id='564942' first='Mina' last='Radaszewski']. Equally effective offensively from the middle is [player_tooltip player_id='582203' first='Sadie' last='Ellis'] while [player_tooltip player_id='534194' first='Willow' last='Smith'] is one of their best net defenders. The 5'11 [player_tooltip player_id='582229' first='Avery' last='Brannon'] has the ability to contribute anywhere across the net so it will be interesting to see where she fits into their plan with her versatile tools. These team also features a solid trio of DS/L prospects in [player_tooltip player_id='593854' first='Addy' last='Wolfer'], <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='769884' first='Ella' last='Groff']</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='621391' first='Ella' last='George'], each capable of stabilizing their serve receive and making big plays defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#6 Seed: Mintonette m.51</strong><br>Two-way 2027 prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='764666' first='Allyson' last='Thornsley']</strong> deserves attention. She has a great arm and can take some heavy swings while also having great movement and contact to run the offense as a setter. Some other primary names to watch on this team include Carsen Chitty, [player_tooltip player_id='721313' first='Layla' last='Jones'], [player_tooltip player_id='582214' first='Sophia' last='Basham'], [player_tooltip player_id='582211' first='Sedona' last='Weisbrod'], and [player_tooltip player_id='582213' first='Leia' last='Schoonover']. Chitty has the foundation to become a really good libero prospect while the 5'11 Jones and 5'10 Basham should be two of their best offensive options from the pins and in the middle respectively. The Newark Catholic pair developed some good experience over the high school season that has upgraded their skills and will be a big benefit for this squad. Weisbrod at the pin and Schoonver in the middle should also see a lot of offensive opportunities and will be important for their offense to develop balance. [player_tooltip player_id='721566' first='Sloan' last='Parker'], at 6'2, joins this team to add some depth to their middle presence. She has good potential and this upgrade in her club experience will be fun to watch towards her development.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#7 Seed: [program_tooltip program_id='430852' first='Tri-State' last='Elite'] 15 Blue</strong><br>One of the best trios of pin attackers is part of this team led by <strong>Charlotte Patton</strong>, a 6'2 high flyer from Kentucky that can terminate with good authority. The 5'11 [player_tooltip player_id='510903' first='Lowe' last='Long'] and athletic [player_tooltip player_id='661888' first='Baechle' last='Mathes'] can be terminal as well with combined skills of power, control, and finesse. Middle [player_tooltip player_id='582228' first='Lauren' last='Williams'] (*pictured) will be a handful to contain when this team is in system. She has length at 6'1 and can also elevate well to create high contact. Expect to see <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='582222' first='Mya' last='Bosse']</strong> lead the offense and pay attention to her skill set and competitiveness. She has good hands but spent the majority of time this past fall hitting for Ross in her first varsity season as she contributed well in a lot of areas. I'm looking forward to seeing their trio of DS/L prospects in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='582221' first='Kelsey' last='Bareswilt']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='582218' first='Maggie' last='Timmerman']</strong>, and <strong>Allison MacPherson</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other athletes to see:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='721292' first='Jayda' last='Calloway']</strong> - MH | Elite VBTC 15 Black</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='769872' first='Autumn' last='Cline']</strong> - S | Elite VBTC 15 Black</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='714893' first='Reagan' last='Draper']</strong> - OH/MH | OPVC 15-1 Ostendorf</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570435' first='Mia' last='Gaal']</strong> - DS/L | CVC 15 Black</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='763921' first='Taylor' last='Harning']</strong> - OH | Elite VBTC 15 Black</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='769869' first='Reese' last='Knox']</strong> - MH | Elite VBTC 15 Black</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Emma Luca</strong> - DS/L | [program_tooltip program_id='431573' first='RockCity' last=''] 15 N1</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='730188' first='Addie' last='Pfiester']</strong> - OH/MH | OPVC 15-1 Ostendorf</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='769865' first='Brooklyn' last='Tudor']</strong> - RS/MH | OPVC 15-1 Ostendorf</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->