Bluegrass Preview: COA 16 Chaos
The sheer numbers of the Bluegrass Prequalifier make it impossible to see everyone that’s playing. Even the college coaches that come here, whose sole purpose is to find that “next (fill-in-the-blank-mascot)”, find it impossible. That being said, here are five…
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Continue ReadingThe sheer numbers of the Bluegrass Prequalifier make it impossible to see everyone that’s playing. Even the college coaches that come here, whose sole purpose is to find that “next (fill-in-the-blank-mascot)”, find it impossible. That being said, here are five athletes from the Terre Haute area, playing for COA’s 16-1 this weekend. You can find them on Court 61 in the afternoon wave starting at 1400.
’24, Lilly Merk Lilly Merk 6'0" | MB Terre Haute South Vigo | 2024 State IN , 6-0 MB/OH, Terre Haute South
Lightning fast and springy, Lilly is a terminal middle that can attack from anywhere. I list her as an outside as well because of her size. Larger schools might like her on the pins, while smaller schools will definitely take advantage of her athleticism. Either way, she’s the class of this squad, and Chaos’ success in 16 Premier this weekend will start and end with Miss Merk.
’24, Arianna Gerkin, 5-10 MB, Vincennes Lincoln
Projecting to be more of an M2 at the next level, Arianna excels at terminating from in front of the setter. She uses every inch of her 5-10 frame to transition well, quickly, and with long strides. Her ability to defend from pin to pin is above average as well for this age group. A nice contrast to Miss Merk listed above, Miss Gerkin has a strong upper body and a thumping right arm to match.
’24, Julia Ross Julia Ross 6'0" | OH Terre Haute North | 2024 State IN , 5-11 OH, Terre Haute North
If there ever was a definition of what a “runway approach” looks like, look no further than Julia. Her transition to ensure she creates enough power to approach from the left pin is just not seen much in this graduating class. She also uses every last bit of her 5-11 frame to go over blocks and tool them with ease. As primarily a left-back option in high school, Miss Ross can also be a six-rotation option for schools looking for that in the fall of ’24.
’23, Marlee Craft, 5-10 RS, Terre Haute North
As a true right side in a 6-2 system for the Patriots, Marlee was one of many that could put balls away on a regular basis. Her longer-than-average arms make her a prime right side candidate at the next level, and I would not be surprised if she saw some left-side reps this weekend. I’d like to see more back row play from her for her future, as playing down an age group this year might limit her exposure for those schools looking for a pin attacker in the class of ’23.
’24, Maddix Minick, 6-1 MB, Covington
Needing some size on this roster, Maddix fits the bill as an M2 option here. All of the kids listed above have at least a little varsity experience from the previous fall, so this should be a good lesson to Miss Minick on how the speed of the game changes from one level to the next. I think of her as a defense-first middle, with her attacks in front of the setter her strength on offense.