Top Players From The Top Finishers In 16s At Central Zone

So many divisions, so little column space. I wish I could write about each and every top player from Indiana from this past weekend's tournament downtown. There was so much talent and potential from court to court that it was hard to keep up, even for the most seasoned of writers here at PrepDig. Today, I hand-picked seven players from six different clubs whose respective squads all finished in the top three in their divisions at Central Zone.    Caroline was a key figure in Academy's 16-1 earning a bronze medal in what was, top to bottom, one of the toughest divisions of any at CZ this past weekend. Time and time again, when the Yeti needed a side out, Miss Hanchar was there to answer the call. If memory serves, she's even stronger and more terminal now than she was just a couple of months ago for 3A power Cathedral. Her ability to take over a match at a moment's notice and make the game look businesslike to her makes her THAT much more marketable for the next level. Caroline understood the assignment, and was one of the top players in the division this past weekend.     At this time just a year ago, this young lady was figuring out what this sport was and where her place was in it. Now, she's earning a bronze medal in 16 Premier Red, which was populated by more than enough open-level teams that should have played open. Ali is a long and lean attacker that can play all six-rotations and is perfecting her floor defense and serve receive after transferring to Circle this past off-season. Quicker now moreso than a season ago, Miss Nobbe has the sky as her limit, as her size profile fits with high-level college volleyball.     For yet another third-place finish in Circle, look no further than their 16 White squad, who did just that in the 16 Premier Blue division. I don't talk about DS's all that much, simply because there are SO many of them. For Avery, though, the column space is worth it. A relentless worker in the gym and the weight room, Miss Bastien also spends a bunch of time on the sand, and finds any and all opportunities to play, lift or simply improve from the day before. Yes, she was a three-rotation DS throughout this weekend, and did an exceptional job in middle back at CZ. To find someone that works harder and with more consistency at the DS position would be difficult at best.     Long, lean and springy, Carsyn helped her squad earn a bronze medal in the 16 Club White division at CZ this past weekend. Her high attack touch serves her well in this, or any, division, and had a ton of terminating angle shots this past weekend to prove. Her future shouldn't be limited by her size, however---I can easily project her to playing either pin at the next level for a smaller school looking for an athletic and quick attacker.     Kassidy is a strong-handed and consistent setter from western Indiana that helped her COA team to a runner-up finish in the 16 Club Red division this past weekend. Her strong hands, consistent placement and solid footwork confirmed for us what she did a little while ago at our Showcase---she'll be an excellent addition to a setter positional group that runs a 6-2 at the next level.     Yet another bronze medal was earned from a team from Indiana, this time in the 16 Club Green division. Ana is on the cusp of being part of two different offenses; she can run a 5-1 or be part of a 6-2. Her advantage as a 5-1 setter is her quickness. She can get to a ton of passes that others her size and smaller just can't get to, while locating that same out-of-system pass into a hittable ball for her attackers. As part of a 6-2, she'd be a bigger addition to what would be a smallish stable of setters, and can go get the tight passes smaller setters would struggle with.     A new club in the area, the regional North Central Valkyries finished strong as the third place team in the 16 Club Blue division. Playing for small school Trinton Central, Addison is more than capable of being the M1 or M2 at the next level. She doesn't consistently take the hardest swing---it's more of a calculated effort that allows her take what the defense gives her. Rarely does she make errors, and with a little bit of training, should blossom into the complete package of a middle that can play either position and defend just as well as she can terminate.

So many divisions, so little column space. I wish I could write about each and every top player from Indiana from this past weekend's tournament downtown. There was so much talent and potential from court to court that it was hard to keep up, even for the most seasoned of writers here at PrepDig. Today, I hand-picked seven players from six different clubs whose respective squads all finished in the top three in their divisions at Central Zone.