Indiana 4A Preview: Do These Bulldogs Have Bite?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Want $10 off of your registration to our July 27 Stock Up Showcase? Use code KypDig2025 at checkout!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our second set of Bulldogs in our Indiana 4A preview brings us closer to central Indiana. The Bulldogs in question this time around are located in Brownsburg, and have all of the pieces in place to earn a regional bid, and possibly beyond, depending on how quickly this group can jell. With one of the top ten toughest schedules in the state in any class, plus a perennial list of club kids playing, PLUS an outstanding player-driven coaching staff, is this the year that Brownsburg emerges beyond the regional to show what they're made of on the state level? Here are my predictions for who's playing and what they are capable of this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brownsburg (22-7 in 2024)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the sixth toughest schedule in all of Indiana, Brownsburg is more than capable of playing and beating some of the toughest in Indiana volleyball anywhere, and at any time. With wins last fall over Cathedral, Hamilton Southeastern, Brebeuf, Fishers and Zionsville, it's easy to see how skilled this program can be. Even in their losses (Center Grove twice, Roncalli, Yorktown and Crown Point), they can't be too hurt over it, considering the blue-blood nature of their schedule. While graduating a top attacker and their multiseason starting setter, there's a ton coming back, including three of the top four attackers from a year ago. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443866' first='Callie' last='Gibson']</strong> is a strong pin attacker who can hammer from anywhere. <strong>London</strong> <strong>Smith </strong>is an undersized but overachieving middle who can out jump the bigger middles and out-transition the slower ones. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='510047' first='Wahine' last='Simpson']</strong> is a springy middle who can double as a right side in a pinch. As far as setting is concerned, it looks to be a covered position in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402577' first='Becca' last='Rogers'],</strong> a taller-than-average setter who locates the ball well in tempo and defends her position well. Oakland-bound <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='220830' first='Kate' last='Vrabel']</strong> should anchor the libero position once again, confirming that Miss Rogers should have plenty of opportunities to set a varied but solid offense. I could even see <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='549941' first='Sophie' last='Orlando']</strong> step in as an attacker in this group, what with her high attack touch and athleticism better than most in her class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prediction: Stay healthy, and a regional title is well within their grasp. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brownsburg is an enigma. They showed signs of overachieving multiple times last season, yet dropped sets to teams they had no business dropping sets to at all. This whole group has a ton of experience, varsity and open-level club, that will be key in the Bulldog's lasting success. But is it enough? Vrabel is #1 in digs and aces, so the first contact is taken care of. The setter is "new", but has all of that club training, even if she's not D1 ready yet. Attackers are coming from everywhere in purple, yet I don't know enough about them to say that each of them are capable of taking over when needed to. 4A schools in the top five have size and an "it" factor that can't be explained. On paper, the Bulldogs lack size, but make up for it in passing and attacking. The "it", however? That remains to be seen until October.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->