Top Five Teams In 4A Right Now

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Want a subscription to PrepDig? Use code Kyp30 for a deep discount off of your national subscription!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through two weeks of our volleyball season, and we've seen highs and lows, injuries and underclassmen replacements, and we made a bit of history with the first outdoor high school game in Indiana. Here are our top five teams in Class 4A right now, along with a signature win and three players per team making a difference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: Carroll, 9-0, big win: outdoor game against Homestead</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I can hear the Chargers faithful screaming at me from two hours away. Undefeated, defending state champ, haven't dropped a set, AT #5?!? Welp, we're talking about right NOW, and the strength of schedule is not as tough as the others. I'm sure, with matches against Zionsville and Hamilton Southeastern looming on Saturday, that this will all play out as it should, Chargers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='227184' first='Bailey' last='Sinish']</strong> (IU Indy commit) is leading the charge (see what I did there?) with 5 kills per set while hitting north of .400 as a primary-passing outside. She's also receiving more than double the amount of sets than the next attacker is receiving, so here's to hoping she has the energy to keep this rolling through November. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='808095' first='Sarah' last='Stegall']</strong> (Notre Dame commit) has been a nice complement to Bailey on the outside, and has a wicked serve to go with that attack. Also hitting .400 as an outside, Sarah's length is giving fits to her opponents. Finally, uncommitted <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='228833' first='Addi' last='Shippy']</strong> has been a consistent force in the middle for years, and is the third athlete hitting .400 or better on the young season. Although listed at only 5'11” her jumping ability and sheer athleticism has set her apart from other middles in this class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: Warsaw, 10-2, big win: Penn, after losing to them three days prior</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Warsaw is the team no one wants to play in the postseason. Scrappy, tough and relentless, a five-set heartbreaker on August 27 was followed up by a three set win in a tournament on August 30. They don't go away, and their team-first mentality should carry them far in the postseason. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='487560' first='Cecelia' last='Goode']</strong> (Purdue Northwest commit) is carrying the offensive load for the Tigers with 4 kills per set, while being part of the primary passing corps. Sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='827662' first='Reagan' last='Edwards']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='736236' first='Jaycie' last='Stockman']</strong> are nice supporting characters in this story. Reagan has the length and athleticism to block pretty much everyone, as she leads the Tigers in blocks. Jaycie is a springy outside who will spend this upcoming spring at Boiler Juniors to help develop that all-around game of hers. This three-headed offensive beast should do well in the short term; I'm curious to see how this. Might play out in the postseason. Stay tuned.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3: Crown Point, 9-1, big win: Yorktown</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs are one of the blue bloods of volleyball from northern Indiana, and will continue to be just that for years to come. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='236692' first='Elle' last='Schara']</strong> (Purdue commit) continues to be the driving force behind this offense, currently averaging 6 kills per set and hitting .300, all while being a primary passer and tough behind the service line. They're going to need another attacker when the postseason comes around, but for now, Elle is more than enough in the regular season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='801186' first='Bella' last='Del Real']</strong> (Southern Illinois commit) is the passing anchor for the Bulldogs, and currently averages a whopping 8 digs per set on defense. Without her, there's no way we're talking about Crown Point this early in the season. Finally, a pleasant surprise in the form of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='546276' first='Elisabetta' last='Bedoy']</strong> has seen time as one of the setters in the Bulldogs' 6-2. To know that a freshman is fully capable of keeping this team in-system more often than not speaks volumes not only to Crown Point's present, but their future as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2: Westfield, 9-0, big win: #3 Crown Point</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not often over the years that I've talked about the Shamrocks, but this feels like a couple of seasons in the making. A ton of varied talents are all over this roster, starting with senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261022' first='Georgia' last='Bresnahan']</strong> (Southern Illinois-Edwardsville commit) is the primary everything for this squad, from primary passing to vocal leadership and everything in between. She does everything well, and is a highly reliable player on this roster. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='482721' first='Paige' last='Rudolph']</strong> is Georgia's counterpart on the ‘Rocks offense, and has length for days from both pins. Adding a couple of kills per set while hitting .300 is no small task, and she even chips in on the block because of that epic length of hers. Finally, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't mention middle blocking stud <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443848' first='Carsyn' last='Comer']</strong> (Louisville commit), my #1 ranked player in the class of ‘27. Size, speed and athleticism are written all over this kid, and she shows it nightly. Hitting well over .500 in the middle, while leading the Shamrocks in aces and blocks, is just an average day for Carsyn, and I'm not sure Westfield would be where they are today without her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1: Hamilton Southeastern, 7-0, big win: #4 Warsaw to start the season</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Royals typify the “play anyone, anywhere, anytime” mantra that has defined this program for nearly a decade. Always scheduling the toughest schedule available, the ladies at HSE are always prepared for tough matches throughout the season. This year is no different, and their schedule doesn't get any easier from here. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261036' first='Madison' last='Miles']</strong> (Illinois commit) is an easy choice for one of the top attackers on this squad, as her size alone is intimidating. Couple that with her jumping ability and knack for terminating at will, and you can understand why she already has 4 kills per set while hitting .300 on the young season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='229027' first='Merritt' last='Sliwa']</strong> (Ball State commit) also has that length and terminal ability about her, putting up almost identical numbers to Miss Miles above. The two of them are a relentless reminder that the Royals' strength has always been on the pins. A pleasant surprise on the offense has to be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='807882' first='Brooklyn' last='Sigler'],</strong> a tough and lengthy pin attacker who's hitting .400 on the year thus far. The junior can hit from anywhere, and has proven it time and again on the club scene. Now, she gets to show off her talents and maybe earn a commitment in the process. She's more than capable of playing at the next level—-it's just a matter of time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->