H.S. Preview: Three DI Teams that Should Contend Well

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Ursuline Lions</em></strong><br>The defending DI champions graduated their GGLC Player of the Year and 1st team all Ohio selection from a season ago but return a core group of young talent that is very capable of filling those shoes by committee. Junior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='176087' first='Katie' last='Gielas'] was a 2nd team GGCL selection from 2022 as she finished #4 overall in the league offensively with 249 total kills. She has length at 6'3, big contact point, and a lot of pace and should see an increased work load. She has six rotations skills also, which means her opportunities out of the back row could also be a big factor. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='195856' first='Lindy' last='Radaszewski'] is another key returner and brings with her some big gains from the club season. At 6'0, she is a versatile and physical middle touching over 10' and providing a heavy arm. She can score through quick options in the middle as well as at the pin if needed, which can make her tough to track and defend. She is also a big factor defensively as she finished top-five in the GGCL in total blocks. Replacing their league leading libero will also be a challenge but senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='494158' first='Maya' last='Brausch'] </strong>may be the answer as she finished top-10 in total digs while averaging over three digs per set last season. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309953' first='Julia' last='McWaters']</strong> will likely assume the setting role after the graduation of another 1st team all-Ohio selection. She has good size at 5'10 and is coming of a solid effort with her OPVC team during the recent club season. [player_tooltip player_id='227623' first='Ella' last='Grimes'] is another athlete to watch as she likely may be the third primary pillar to their offense as the sophomore had 172 total kills last season with a 2.0 k/s average. She led them in 2022 at 3.6 k/s. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Magnificat</em></strong> <strong><em>Blue Streaks</em></strong><br>The 2022 DI runner-up returns a slew of key contributors and may be the frontrunner to win the state title to start the season. The biggest change will be at the setting position following the graduation of their talented 1st team all-Ohio floor leader. This program always has young prospects ready to step in and we are anticipating learning who will get the nod to lead this offense that has some big point scoring potential once again. [player_tooltip player_id='114595' first='Julia' last='Sprecher'] brings athleticism and a big arm with the ability to ignite her team at the net and out of the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='232843' first='Mary' last='Flanagan'] contributed 3.0 k/s and is also back to help create great balance with Sprecher with her big left arm on the right side of the court. Just a freshman last season, [player_tooltip player_id='227800' first='Sydney' last='Borowy'] provided some key moments as she finished the season at 2.2 k/s. Middle [player_tooltip player_id='114591' first='Emily' last='Ragon'] was a big part of AVC's run at the 17U level over the club season and will be back for her senior season with good scoring range in the quicker options on the interior of the net. Her primary counterpart in the middle will likely be senior [player_tooltip player_id='209893' first='Sarah' last='Karabatsos'] (*pictured). She is a key defensive threat at the net as she had 40 total blocks in 44 sets last season while averaging 1.7 k/s. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='403534' first='Kailey' last='Snow'] returns at the libero position and brings length and range along with quality first touch action in serve receive and defensively that gets their offense moving. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Kings</strong></em><strong><em> Knights<br></em></strong>Featuring some of our top prospects in the 2024 class, Kings was the ECC champion last year and should be the frontrunner to win the league once again. Leading the way are two of the state's best point scorers in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='114584' first='Elise' last='Marchal'] and [player_tooltip player_id='114565' first='Sydney' last='Barrett']. Marchal is a versatile attacker with the ability to score anywhere across the net and through any tempo. She has a big arm and was the best offensive threat that saw the most opportunities for club team throughout a very competitive national-level schedule. Barrett has a complete skill set as a six rotation outside hitter with some of the best arm control and range from either side of the court. She gained a lot of experience at the opposite position for one of the nation's best 17U teams where she scored well with her arm as well as in establishing a big blocking presence at the net. She also contributes in the first-contact areas as well as with great movement and pressure from the service line. She led the ECC in service aces last season. [player_tooltip player_id='139272' first='Abby' last='Yoder'] returns for her final season as the floor leader as she led the ECC in 2022 with over 1,000 total assists. Not surprising given the point scoring prowess of her two biggest targets as Marchal and Barrett went 1-2 offensively to lead the league respectively. [player_tooltip player_id='114578' first='Dakota' last='Henry'], the ECC's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is a solid prospect at the libero position as she contributed over 300 digs a season ago while also anchoring their serve receive. A freshman last season, [player_tooltip player_id='222621' first='Ava' last='McIntyre'] provided good offense on the right side with 1.9 k/s. She has grown her skill set and impact over the recent club season and should increase her effectiveness for the Knights. Barrett was the league's Player of the Year last season as she, Marchal, Yoder, and Henry all were 1st team all-conference selections. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->