5 players to watch at the Illinois Freshman Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tournaments, camps, and showcases are great places to show off your skills. This showcase, in particular, gives you a glimpse of the future of talent in Illinois and the surrounding areas. On August 3rd, at Top Flight in Elgin, a ton of talent will be on display. These freshmen are going into high school and looking to make a splash at their high schools and for their 2026 club seasons. The freshman showcase offers scouts providing in-depth coverage, videographers capturing key highlights, and college coaches scouting talent in person or online. This is a great spot for this class of 2029 girls to get some instruction, evaluation, and a lot of work and play in the gym. It's going to be a great learning experience for these ladies and a chance to see how they stack up against one another.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This list of 5 players have some great skill sets to point out, and will be fun to watch at the showcase. From outside pin hitters, to Libero's, you will find some talent to keep an eye on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["781400"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6878ff1d34fdf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Explosive. This young lady can give you all the hits and swings as an outside pin hitter. Fantastic vertical which allows for her to swing down on the ball. She has a great fast swing which really gets the ball moving, whether down the line, or over the defenders. Very impressive and is one to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["754537"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6878ff1d35069"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">From what I have seen from Amelia, she can do it all. Played some all around and has a great relaxed feel for the game. Shows her listed at 6 ft 1 inches tall and moves effortlessly. She can hit with power, or place shots down the line. She passed well out of the back row and has a good feel for where she is on the court. I saw blocking, passing, hitting you name it from her. Well rounded player.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["789780"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6878ff1d350e3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Very, very solid on serve receive, never seemed shaky and holds a stable solid platform on passes. She anticipates, and her feet are moving toward the ball on serves. You can tell she feels comfortable out there and has a nice feel on defense as well. Anticipation and reading hits are important and she does a nice job with that. Seems to have great feet and control over her body. She is someone you want in your back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["772345"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6878ff1d35159"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">This girl has a motor on her. Quick feet, strong legs combined with speed has her chasing down everything. You have to work to score a point on this Libero. She does a nice job with serve receive and provides spectacular digs worthy of highlights. Does a nice job zone serving as well hitting the short zones. You can't teach hustle, heart and grit and she gives you all of that. Class of 2029 one to watch. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["747173"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6878ff1d351d1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ella has a great awareness for the game, and you can see that from her play in the back row. She does a great job sniffing out tips and getting to the ball. Her fairly long arms for a Libero/DS I believe helps her track balls down as well. Stays controlled on the court staying on her feet during passes and digs. Seems to have good hands and a nice platform for passing. Also has a nice serve that seems to go deep and on an angle into zone 1. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Showcases, camps, tryouts are fantastic places to show what you got. Being able to calm your nerves, to have fun, and enjoy the game of volleyball in scenarios like these are very important. Trusting the work and reps you have put in, and being ready to take coaching and instruction from new people and coaches is a skill one must possess. These girls heading into high school have a lot to prove and still a lot to learn. Looking forward to seeing what these 5 girls do at the showcase as well as everyone else on this list. Illinois and the surrounding states and area look to have some great volleyball ahead this year and beyond. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->