MEQ Recap: Good Success for Ohio Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Rock City Wins 17 USA Division</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rock City 17-1 continues to assert themselves competitively as they finished the recent Mideast Qualifier with a 9-1 record to win the 17 USA division to earn their bid to this summer's USAV Girls Junior National Championships. A huge strength of this team is in their ball control and defense, which is anchored by 2023 prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='169511' first='Maria' last='Insana']</strong>. The 5'4 Youngstown State commit has great instincts on the defensive side and maximizes her quickness well with good first-step movement to pursue the ball and develop range. Middle <strong>Emma Blankenship</strong> is a big presence and force especially on the defensive side. She also showed her ability to score through quick options and with good movement overhead off one foot. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='139301' first='Maria' last='Flynn']</strong>, at 6'1, has an aggressive arm on the pins and found a lot of success at the right side as one of multiple point scoring options. Recent rankings additions in setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349125' first='Samantha' last='Hartman']</strong> and middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349123' first='Niyah' last='Lester']</strong> also contributed to their great run over the weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last='']' last='']' last=''] 18s Go Undefeated</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top team for [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last='']' last='']' last=''] went 10-0 on the weekend dropping only three sets on their way to a tournament title and an open-level bid to the national championships. Kentucky commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='114516' first='Brooke' last='Bultema']</strong> was a consistent threat as has been typical for this team this season as she is tough to handle in the middle with her aggressive movement and arm around the setter offensively. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='141725' first='Lindsey' last='Green']</strong> (Ball State) is a competitive veteran and plays with confidence and composure to help lead her team in the toughest moments while also developing good offense. Ranked #8 nationally by one source, this team has good depth in the middle with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='141721' first='Campbell' last='Robinson']</strong> (Albany) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153889' first='Amelia' last='Nott'] </strong>(Morehead State) and get good leadership in the ball control and defensive phases from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='197515' first='Sydney' last='Breissinger']</strong> (Creighton). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>NOVA Earns Triple Qualification</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NOVA 18 Navy lost one match on the weekend which was in the championship match as they finished 2nd overall with a 9-1 record. Their roster includes some great athleticism and talent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='169493' first='Jocelyn' last='Jourdan']</strong>, heading to Youngstown State, is a primary option for this team. She has good size and contact point at 6'2 and can generate good power at both pins. Middle <strong>Allana Appelby</strong> is signed to Cleveland State. She is an athlete and can be a big factor in putting a big block on the defensive side as she continues to improve the quality of her arm to match the big [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='[program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last='']' last='']' last=''] she can create. Outside hitter <strong>Natalie Stepanovich</strong> is 6'0 and can also score points effectively. She is signed with Robert Morris. Having earned bids to the 18 USA division earlier, this is a team that should be a big threat for a successful run at nationals this summer as a triple qualifier. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Black Swamp Wins 18 Liberty Division</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a 10-0 record on the weekend, Black Swamp 18-1 completed their weekend with a convincing 2-0 win in the championship match. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='139279' first='Caroline' last='Lanicek']</strong> (Hillsdale College) is a big presence and can be a huge challenge for defenses with her ability to contact high and as she is a lefty. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='264420' first='Emily' last='Klopp']</strong> (Clarion) also brings big size to the net at 6'3 which can influence a match with her length and blocking ability. On the pin is <strong>Rylie Ritzhaupt</strong> (Otterbein) who brings athleticism at 5'9 to be able to contribute as a six-rotation athlete with good skills offensively and with her ball control and defense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='264401' first='Hannah' last='Miller']</strong> (Findlay) also provides great competitive experience with a solid skill set to be able to contribute in a variety of ways. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->