A Spicy Bid Battle at the 2025 Hoosier Regionals

Over the weekend many teams from the Hoosier Region came to Indianapolis to compete for a bid to the 2025 USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Dallas. In order to secure a bid in the 14-18s divisions, your team had to finish in the top 3 at this regional qualifier, earning you a spot at Nationals in the National, American or Freedom divisions (the only higher bid would be in the Open division which you can only earn at the bigger National Qualifiers).   As the tournament wound down on Sunday afternoon, a spicy and heated battle between [program_tooltip program_id='432195' first='Circle' last='City Elite'] 15 Black and [program_tooltip program_id='431519' first='Team' last='Indiana VBC'] 15.1 started to play out. Both were fighting for a spot in the championship and a shot to play for one of the two highest bids, National and American. The match was hard fought going three sets with Circle City pulling out the victory (23-25, 25-21, 15-7). I was so overjoyed that I was able to watch the entire match because there was some serious talent and grit on display! Here are some of the players who stood out to me during that epic 15s battle on Sunday.    In the two matches I was able to watch Farman play she was absolutely TERMINAL, hitting nearly 1.000 both times. Not only is she efficient (doesn't make hardly any errors or get blocked), but she is also a smart hitter who knows how to score. Alexandra sees what the block is giving her on the one ball and takes it, whether it's a sharp power shot or cut-back. Add to that her ability to hit off of the left side blocker and tool her and she is pretty much impossible to stop; the offense of this Circle City 15 Black squad should definitely run through her! Blocking-wise she is tall and lean at 6'1" with long arms and she rarely (if ever) gets used. Farman is a SOLID, REALLY GOOD middle who is just going to get better and better, and I cannot wait to watch!     Grace is an OPP who plays well above her height, especially when blocking. In a tight and very important match against Team Indiana's 15-1s team where they were both fighting to earn a higher Nationals bid, she was able to come up with several key blocks (alongside Farman) to seal the victory for her 15 Black team. Her attacking is just as solid and powerful because she is really good at getting her feet to the ball, no matter where the set is (a skill that is difficult and important when hitting on the RS). Weber can swing hard down the line and find the seam, depending on what the block gives her, plus she is effective on the left side pin as well. Lastly, my favorite part about Grace's game is her FIRE. She brings that certain something that not all players can - smiling, but FIERCELY COMPETITIVE - and she communicates constantly and positively. Simply put, Weber is a GAMER.     What struck me first about Ava was her ability to run down the ball almost anywhere on the court, which as a setter is such a great skill to have, especially at a young age. She is fast and a HUSTLER - you know a kid is competitive and a go-getter if they try to get to everything! Jones spreads the ball around really well, getting everyone involved. I especially liked how she worked hard to establish her middles early and often - it opened up the outside effectively as the match went on. Her sets to the outside are consistent and quick, again allowing her OHs to hit efficiently against opposing defenses. Similar to Weber, Jones is clearly a GAMER who loves to compete. She has that fiery personality that can get her teammates going when need be but also gives positive feedback when it's warranted.     It is clear that Harper has very good fundamentals in both serve receive and defense. Her platform is buttery smooth and she knows how to use angles when passing, allowing her to control hard float serves outside of her body well. As a libero she does a nice job of leading and controlling the backrow by being calm emotionally and physically. And on defense, Drzakowski is NOT AFRAID to put herself in front of balls that are hit heavy and with a lot of pace. When her 15 Black team played Circle City 15-1s (who have some serious thumpers), she dug multiple lasers, and not only did she dig them, but she got them up and into the middle of the court. I was really impressed at her ability to dig cross court against some of the nation's best OHs at this age. Lastly, she has a great demeanor on the court - STEADY, hustling and not rattled.     Mollie is a dynamo OH who never stops moving, talking, working hard and smiling. She is a JOY to watch and clearly loves playing the game with her teammates. Tucker is one of the better off blocker defenders I have seen, never bailing out of defense to hit - she is always willing to go get the off speed/tip in the middle of the court BEFORE she transitions to swing. I saw her do it multiple times and I wondered if her team realizes how awesome that is to have on the floor (very selfless)! Mollie can swing in all directions on the outside, but sharp cut and hard in the seam are certainly her bread and butter. As a fan of volleyball, I just love to watch players like Mollie who leave everything out on the floor and clearly enjoy the game!     Rosanna was the go-to attacker for this Team Indiana 15.1 team when I watched, and she made quite the one-two punch alongside her teammate [player_tooltip player_id='586954' first='Hayden' last='Reeves']. I loved her ability to swing high and hard with a lot of accuracy and not many errors. There were multiple times when she was able to get a touch off the block high or hit the opposite deep corner for the kill making her very hard to defend. Not only is she a very efficient attacker, but she is also a solid passer playing all the way around. Spearing picked up a ton of balls playing middle back defense and was always going all out. Lastly, in their really tight match against Circle City 15 Black, she served under pressure multiple times and never served an easy ball over - she always put pressure on the other side even though the match was tight.     Reeves is the other member of this exciting duo of OHs for Team Indiana 15.1 alongside Spearing. They both bring a ton of confidence and competitive energy to the court and play all six rotations. Hayden has a great attacking toolbox that includes high hands and hard seam swings, but what I loved most was how she worked the perimeter of the court hitting both a SHARP cut shot, as well as taking it down the line. She also works really hard in transition to get deep and off the net whether she is blocking or playing off blocker defense. Reeves is a solid foundation for this team on the outside and sets a really good tone with her high level of hustle and willingness to get after it.    <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! By subscribing, you'll not only stay connected to the latest coverage of your favorite events, but you'll also be helping to shine a spotlight on rising volleyball talent.   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Over the weekend many teams from the Hoosier Region came to Indianapolis to compete for a bid to the 2025 USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Dallas. In order to secure a bid in the 14-18s divisions, your team had to finish in the top 3 at this regional qualifier, earning you a spot at Nationals in the National, American or Freedom divisions (the only higher bid would be in the Open division which you can only earn at the bigger National Qualifiers).