Freshman Showcase 2024: Liberos to Watch for in High School Pt 3

Melissa Smith

August 6, 2024 @ 10:01 AM

<p>You would be hard pressed to find many defensive specialists, who come in as freshman, ready to rock the different colored jersey right off the bat. But the class of 2028 has quite of few of them who could be poised to come in and see playing time right away. These are the players who competed hard, brought the hustle, and had the skills to match, at the Indiana Freshman Showcase this year. This is Part 3 of 3 in this series of DS/L's to watch for this year at the high school level.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='561057' first='Brooke' last='Neale'], Westfield H.S.</h2>   <p>Brooke started off right away in 4v4 play with great movement away from the ball and carried that all the way through the entire showcase, showing that she is ready to play at the high school level. She did some of her best defensive work out of left back, digging hard driven balls and staying on her feet as much as possible when running down off-speed shots. Lastly, Neale had one of the best short serves of the group and was aggressive when swinging from the back row.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='534774' first='Lyla' last='Fortener'], Hopkins County Central H.S.</h2>   <p>As the only DS/L from Kentucky at the Freshman Showcase, Lyla brought the excellent ball control standard that we are used to seeing from Bluegrass state players. She was one of the best passers in the bunch, consistently putting up two- and three-point passes in serve receive drills. As Fortener continues to improve on her reading skills on defense, as well as communication, she is poised to be a solid defender for Hopkins County Central in the coming years.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jaci Heath, Carroll H.S.</h2>   <p>Jaci is a defensive player who isn't afraid to step in and take control. At this age that isn't something you see often - when a bunch of players come together who haven't played together before - but Heath brought it right away, showing her confidence for a youngster. One of her biggest strengths was her ability to move forward well, both in serve receive and on defense. As she continues to work on digging the hard driven ball and pass the deep serve, and keeps her innate confidence, Jaci is bound to become a great, well-rounded back row player for Carroll.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ali Barber, New Castle H.S.</h2>   <p>What I loved about Ali right off the bat was the hustle and effort she brought to every drill. With more of a quiet demeanor on the court, Barber spoke more with her play than her voice, which many great defensive players do. She also had a solid serve during serve receive drills and wasn't afraid to really go for it in terms of being aggressive. Look for Ali to continue to grow in her confidence and communication as she gains more experience in high school. Couple that with the hustle, effort and good foundational skills she already has, and this young lady is poised to be a consistent DS/L for New Castle over the next few years.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hayden Reeves, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.</h2>   <p>Hayden comes into high school at a storied and stacked program, but one thing that is sure to make her standout is her serve. She hits a hard, standing float serve with a ton of pace and the bottom just drops out once it goes over the net - her serve made passing difficult for even the best passers at the showcase. Serving is one area I could see Reeves making an immediate impact in right away. As she continues to develop her range on defense, especially working on picking up off speed shots and tips, watch for Hayden to keep moving up the ranks at both HSE and Team Indiana this year.</p>   <p></p>

You would be hard pressed to find many defensive specialists, who come in as freshman, ready to rock the different colored jersey right off the bat. But the class of 2028 has quite of few of them who could be poised to come in and see playing time right away. These are the players who competed hard, brought the hustle, and had the skills to match, at the Indiana Freshman Showcase this year. This is Part 3 of 3 in this series of DS/L's to watch for this year at the high school level.