Lucas Oil Lights: GJNCs Day 5 Hoosier Standouts

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 volleyball news!   I spent the first half of day five of GJNCs in Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts. Not a bad view, if you ask me, and I'm sure the 15 courts in operation in the brick shrine downtown were more than happy to play in such a unique locale. With that being said, a few Indiana-based teams called Lucas Oil their temporary volleyball home, with players well worth watching. Here are six standouts I saw that made a difference for their respective squads.    Small but mighty, Ali is clearly the quarterback of the offense that SEIVB runs quickly when in-system. Her simple athleticism and ability to get her feet to each and every pass, regardless of how good it was, is the reason I'm mentioning her here, and she can set every ball with solid location and tempo. Yes, she's undersized, but for someone this athletic, she's worth the watch to find the 6-2 fit (or possible 5-1 fit at a smaller school) that can use someone with this level of acuity in volleyball.     Heavy hitting and strong, Caroline is new to me but clearly not to the game. She's a more natural right side than a primary attacker from the left, and definitely likes a faster-than-average tempo ball on that right side. As a blocker, she takes up space and would be best suited next to a middle who works as hard as she does in penetration and leg drive. From one of the smallest schools in the state, Caroline will be a steal for anyone looking for a bruising pin attacker.     Calm and consistent, Ava's all-around libero actions today convinced me that she's more than ready to move up an age group, just like she did today. Holding her own against bigger and tougher competition, she can receive serve on half the court, set a second ball that's very hittable and can defend in a read-and-react position. This is yet another small school libero that needs a little more publicity than usual, and should be a fine addition to a next-level defensive specialist depth chart.     Big with length, Katherine owned quite a few middles during today's play at Lucas Oil. She loves going for a quick middle attack that allows her to reach up and over the block, and transitions quick enough to beat a lot of similarly sized middles. An over six foot middle from Indiana? Not too many of those lying around here, and Katherine is slowly improving her game to be recruited well as she ages.     Springy and quick, Lily is a primary-passing, six-rotation outside hitter that plays bigger than her stature. From significantly more southwest of Indy than most attending the Plainfield club, Miss Mishler'a active athleticism gets her to a ton of balls—-both in- and out-of-system—-that some kids just can't get to. She still needs to train a bit more in tougher play and high-end situations     Taylor's got a job to do with her squad——receive serve, anchor defense, and be a stud. Mission accomplished on all accounts, and it's not a question of IF, but WHEN she gets a little more recruiting attention. Within an entire family of volleyball studs, Taylor sets herself apart by being the most reliable in ball control in the family. Keep this kid in mind when thinking of ball control athletes in the class of ‘28.

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 volleyball news!