Future Stars on the Court I Would Want to Coach Right Now

At the Freshman Showcase I saw a group of athletes who just got it — they had raw talent, definite drive, and that unteachable passion. After watching all of our freshman compete over the course of two hours, there were a few players who stood out as future stars I'd jump at the chance to train with right now. These aren't just promising athletes — they're the kind you build can build a culture around. Here's who made the list.    When it comes to potential as a freshman, Elena has it in DROVES, especially at the middle blocker position. As a former Big Ten MB, I know a talented middle in the making when I see one and this young lady is just that. It is clear that Swanagan is newer to the game, but she has all the makings of an elite player: height, length, athleticism and DRIVE. My favorite part of the Showcase was when everyone split up into their positions and Elena was the only middle there. So instead of just going with the pin hitters, she chose to get one-on-one middle blocker training time with a coach. That spoke volumes to me of what this young lady is capable of and the determination she has. Even though she is a bit raw, she puts up a big block, which will likely continue to get bigger as she grows and develops. Elena is already terminal when attacking, but the sky is the limit as she learns spacing with the setter and transition footwork. I CANNOT wait to see what the future holds for this young lady!     Like Swanagan, Robertson has loads of potential. She is long and lean and has a high reach on both the block and attack. As she gets stronger through strength training and improves her attack timing through reps, Reese is going to be a player to watch out for. Right now, she is listed as an OH, but I can see her developing as a really good OPP or even MB. It looks to me like she has some growing still to do and because she is already a good jumper, I can really envision her putting up a big block on the right side and being very terminal on that pin. You know when you see a player and you can just tell that she seems built to play volleyball? That was Robertson for me at the Showcase. With the right training during club season and a ton of reps during high school season, I believe Reese has the opportunity to be a standout in Bloomington over the next few years.     Middleton could have easily landed a spot on my top setters from the Freshman Showcase, but I decided to include her in this list of athletes with the most potential instead. My main reason for doing this was because I don't think she is anywhere near what she is going to be as a setter; this young lady has all the makings of a serious volleyball stud. She is long, athletic, confident and is set up well for success by being at both Tri-West and Circle City. One of her main strengths already, in my opinion, is her willingness to jump set every ball and always make contact at a high point - something high level setters do well. This also allows her to get to tightly passed balls easily and make great plays out of them. Lastly, Julia is strong and can push the ball all the way to the pin from anywhere on the court. This young lady just needs to get lots of reps and play in against good competition and I believe we will see her blossom FAST.     When watching Hall it was apparent she has the tools to be a great setter, but she simply just needs a little more time and reps. She is athletic and hardworking, combined with good setting fundamentals to build off of. One area that I thought she excelled in was defense - she is a young setter who clearly takes pride in her defense and doesn't just bail on her teammates in order to get to the net and set. Stella is proficient already at setting anywhere along the net, as well as being offensive herself. I believe with more reps on setting out of system balls (especially during live game play), she will continue to improve at a fast rate. Lastly, Hall has the length and jumping ability to be a solid blocker at the net which will give her the chance to set front row and run a 5-1 as she develops. Evansville United really has some great players coming up and this young lady is certainly one of them.     Zoe stood out to me from the get-go because she was very focused during every drill and ALWAYS gave great effort; she is definitely a young player I would want to coach! Being an incoming freshman, she stood out to me in terms of skills due to her solid passing fundamentals. Zanker has a great, quiet platform and never seemed to panic while in serve receive - a quality that we know many freshmen do not have yet. She is also strong and can put a ton of pace on the ball. As Zoe develops and trains more, I look for her to start getting her feet to every ball when she is attacking so that she can make good swings every time, not just on the balls that are in system. If she can work hard to develop her vertical and OH toolbox of shots (line, sharp cross, high hands, off speeds), she is going to be a great 6 rotation hitter for Saint Joseph in the years to come.    <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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At the Freshman Showcase I saw a group of athletes who just got it — they had raw talent, definite drive, and that unteachable passion. After watching all of our freshman compete over the course of two hours, there were a few players who stood out as future stars I'd jump at the chance to train with right now. These aren't just promising athletes — they're the kind you build can build a culture around. Here's who made the list.