Hoosier Bid Regionals: 15s Players We're Watching, Part 1

With 11 teams in the 15s division of Hoosier Bid Regionals, there are plenty of athletes to talk about watching. Here is the first part of that story, featuring five players from five different rosters.    Blaine is a high-flying, six-rotation outside that has the potential to take over a match at any time. I've personally watched her do so at our showcases in the past, and she's more than owned the court when drills or play goes south. Her leadership is in her play, and the various ways she can lead are obvious---scoring points, hitting the floor, doing the little things necessary to win---not everyone has those traits in their DNA, let alone finding those traits in someone as young as Blaine. The character is high, the play is elite, and the work ethic is relentless. What more do you need?     Although not as terminal as Blaine listed above, Lily might be more well-rounded than most outsides in this class. Calm and consistent in ball control, Lily is that O2 coaches so desperately need at these age groups---someone to rely upon when the going gets tough. I'd like to see a little more jump training in her future, as I don't think she's getting much taller than this. However, she's more than capable of playing all parts of this game, and can be recruited to do multiple things on whatever the roster needs are.     More of a dynamic three-rotation attacker than the six-rotation variety listed above, Miss Scott has a nice arm swing to go along with a fearlessness that's hard to teach. Most of the time, freshmen at this level are "afraid to make errors". Unfortunately, errors are (1) the only way you learn in this game, and (2) inevitable if you're going for the win. Lily is more than capable of "going for it" on each and every swing, and does so with a consistent arm slot and pace.     Speaking of "going for it", Harper might be undersized, but you'll never see her give anything less than 100%. Yes, she's undersized, and will most likely be more of a DS as her career continues. For now, she finds ways to attack high and hard at undisciplined blocks and does well to minimize errors on out-of-system swings, as evidenced by her play last fall. I'm interested to see more of her in defense and serve receive, as that is probably where her future lies.     Solid as an attacker and consistent as a setter, Nicole can be recruited for either endeavor at the next level. I've seen the work she's done in our showcases, and it was hard to pin her down to one position because her all-around skill set is so complete. When setting, her hands are high and she gives a very hittable ball to her hitters. When attacking, it's with pace and purpose, and hard to defend. When defending, the ball is "bettered", meaning the contact after hers is easier because of how Nicole defended. I'm hoping for a little more front row play this weekend (at least more than she had in high school), as that might help me more accurately assess her potential.

With 11 teams in the 15s division of Hoosier Bid Regionals, there are plenty of athletes to talk about watching. Here is the first part of that story, featuring five players from five different rosters.