Prez Day At StL: Athletes Playing Up A Year

We've spent the last three articles talking about this year's seniors that are playing in Saint Louis this weekend for President's Day. This space will be occupied by some X-factor '26s that are playing up on 18s teams this weekend. Here are five athletes from four different rosters that can make things happen for their recruitment simply because of their level of competition.    Recently reclassified to the class of '26, Kyla is a compact, strong and athletic setter that runs a 5-1 with the new Pineapple High Performance 18-1. Of the players on this team, Kyla has shown the most promise among her fellow '26s, and is willing to do the dirty work without accolades to get the job done. Although her squad hasn't had the most positive of club seasons so far, Miss Coolman has shown that her relentlessness and athleticism will carry her far in her future, regardless of the roster around her.     Showing promise on the right side for Circle's 18 Black squad, Mariana is a smart and physical pin attacker that has shown that right side is her cup of tea. With her whiplike arm swing and solid foundation for blocking, her talents have really shown through playing up a year. She can hit high and tool the block, hit sharp angles against undisciplined blockers, and defends her position well for her class. I'm interested to see how the rest of her club season goes, as she's spent her falls playing small school ball. The next month to six weeks should REALLY show what she's made of, and it only gets tougher from here. One thing is for sure---Mariana is more than qualified to play with the older girls this spring.     Active and quick for a 3A top ten program at Cathedral, Miss Hoban is the only available DS on Circle's 18 Black. Fully capable of wearing the special jersey (as she did for a good portion of her high school career thus far), Annabelle can play any of the three defensive positions and hits the floor more than any other defender available in this class. I'd like to see a little more calmness in her serve receive, as sometimes her feet are faster than the readiness of her platform. No matter---she's always around the ball when she's on the court and makes some of the tough digs look trivial.     From western Indiana, Makenzie is a left-handed middle that has been giving fits to opposing middles for a solid two years now. Although her future might place her on the right side (which she's more than capable of playing), her play in the middle stands out as not only unique but serviceable for someone looking for something different. She plays bigger than her frame, so that block of hers is solid and disciplined. Getting creative on the attack is key for anyone setting her, as she's an M2 at the moment for COA's top team (the Cyclones). I could see her going off of her right foot in front of the setter in her future---almost a reverse slide, if you'll indulge me. I've seen it before at the collegiate level; she can give opposing defenses nightmares trying to deal with a ball coming from different angles than they're used to defending in practice.     For a more traditional-looking middle, check out the M2 on COA's Panthers squad. Lilly is a springy and explosive middle who gets up quicker than the block can form to stop her. When the set isn't ideal, she finds shots to score points or, at the very least, minimizes errors by making sure the play continues. Her swing is quick, she terminates well, and I'd like to see how she does in the 18 Club division this weekend to reserve judgment on how she does against bigger and older competition.

We've spent the last three articles talking about this year's seniors that are playing in Saint Louis this weekend for President's Day. This space will be occupied by some X-factor '26s that are playing up on 18s teams this weekend. Here are five athletes from four different rosters that can make things happen for their recruitment simply because of their level of competition.