Players To Watch In 16 Open At Central Zones

Want a subscription to PrepDig? Use code Kyp30 for 30% off of your annual subscription! And don't forget to follow @KypPDIN on X for all of your Indiana high school and club news!   We've finished with the dozens of players to watch in all of the 17s age groups for this weekend's Central Zone Invitational. Let's dive deeper into the age groups, focusing mainly on the class of 2028. Here are seven players from seven different rosters that are using this tournament as the springboard for the most important recruiting year of their careers thus far.    I remember evaluating Amaya at the Early Bird Shootout last January, and had her as an athletic but limited three-rotation outside. What she's done in the last year is proof of high-end development, continued elite athleticism and an innate ability to terminate regularly. She's even sprinkled in some serve receive and floor defense for good measure. The work ethic with this kid has been relentless, and seeing her regular progress on my X feed confirms that fact.     Skilled in all aspects of being a middle, Finley's more than capable of being a Division 1 M1 or M2 at the next level. The bloodline is there, as her mother played at IU. Although that doesn't guarantee success, Finley understands the game better than most because of her. The physicality is there as well—-she's got length for days, attacks high and hard, and moves with a fluidity not normally seen in middles this age.     More of a ball-control outside, Lily's multiple positions listed in her profile emphasize that fact. She's a pass-first, smart attacker that plays with a maturity that is lacking from a number of outsides in this class. I like her ability to lead by example—-she spent the great majority of her high school career doing just that at Bloomington South. I wouldn't be too hung up on her height, as she makes up for it with athleticism and jumping ability.     Quick, intelligent and consistent, Brooke is the rare libero I'll mention for this tournament. Working with some of the best ball control trainers in the Midwest at Munciana, Brooke's ability to cover ground and perfectly pass a hard-driven ball or tough serve make her the perfect kid to wear the special jersey. Even if she isn't the libero, she can play any of the three back row position with equal adeptness and skill. Traditionally, I don't talk about defenders, simply because we have so many of them in Indiana. Brooke is worth the article space, and has a chance of being one of the first liberi to earn a commitment next summer.     With “Division I pin attacker” written all over her, Reagan is a next-level right side that has the entire package. She's got size, where her block is tough to go over or around and her attack is high and hard. She has skill, which at this size looks polished and mature. She also has the comportment—-the emotional maturity to have not too many highs or lows and give that consistent high-end performance in every match. With size, skill and an above-average volleyball IQ, Reagan is a next-level player in the making.     With length for days and a terminal mentality in her play, Karleigh is yet another long and lean middle from central Indiana. Although she's not as fluid as some, you can't teach 6'2”, and that fluidity will come with experience and training. It also seems that her attack touch is even higher than when I saw her last in our pre-high-school showcase in July. A 6'2” middle, with an ever-increasing attack touch and high-end training and knowledge of the game? You could do a lot worse in this (or any) class at the middle blocking position.     To southern Indiana we go, where size isn't as prevalent. Isabella is the rare find of size, speed and strength that isn't as common in that part of the state, which makes her meteoric rise that much more impressive. Her broad shoulders emphasize the space she takes up on the block. Her high attack touch brings an attack that has pace behind it, making her tough to defend. She's also got quicker-than-she-looks footwork that makes her available for each and every transition situation. She's the whole package, and should be easy to find on her Union squad.

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