Early Results: Top Five Attackers In 4A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We know it's early on in the high school season here in Indiana. That being said, there's something to athletes and teams that come out of the gate ready to play. Here are five kids from four different schools that have already been turning heads in the month of August.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'24, [player_tooltip player_id='260989' first='Ava' last='Holtz'], 5-9 OH, LaPorte</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'24, [player_tooltip player_id='236694' first='Emalee' last='Maesch'], 5-7 OH, LaPorte</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I paired these two together for good reason. The Slicers are off to an 8-0 start on the season, without dropping a set. This pair of left sides have done the great majority of the damage on offense. Ava is a compact and springy outside that can take over a match in a hurry. Her 16 kills against Penn last week proved just that. Even though Emalee is smaller in stature and will probably project to being a defender at the next level, it's nice to see that her talents aren't limited to passing. She's already leading the team with four kills per set, while also contributing three digs per set in the early part of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'24, [player_tooltip player_id='110490' first='Taylor' last='Lewis'], 6-1 OH, Cathedral, Villanova commit</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor is listed as a middle AND an outside on Cathedral's roster, but she'll be a major pin attacker at the next level. She has more than double the amount of kills the next Cathedral player has, while also contributing 2.5 digs per set. Leading her squad to an early 6-1 record, the Fighting Irish have yet to lose to an in-state program. Their match at undefeated Center Grove (4-0) tomorrow night is one I'm looking forward to seeing in person.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26, [player_tooltip player_id='227184' first='Bailey' last='Sinish'], 5-11 OH, Carroll</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 5-1, the Chargers are off to their typical start in the Fort Wayne area, suffering a tough loss to big and talented Homestead over the weekend. As a primary-passing, six-rotation outside, Bailey is responsible for way more than your average sophomore. She's averaging north of five kills and three digs per set, all while hitting over .300 in the process. Easily the youngest on this list, it will be interesting to see how she does against defending state champion Hamilton Southeastern on Saturday, September 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25, [player_tooltip player_id='152944' first='Charlotte' last='Vinson'], 6-1 OH, Yorktown, Indiana commit</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Responsible for more of her team's success than the previous players listed here <em>combined</em>, Miss Vinson's Tigers are off to a 3-1 start playing one of the toughest schedules in the state. She's currently leading Class 4A in kills (88) and kills per set (over 6!!!). She's also been asked to be a primary passer for the Tigers, AND she's hitting almost .300 while carrying this team on her back. Although this success might not be sustainable in the long term, it's working so far for Yorktown. A real test comes this Saturday against volleyball blue-blood Roncalli.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->