Celebrating Hoosiers: Qualified 18s Teams, Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've come to the end of the road for the class of '25, and there are plenty of athletes and teams from Indiana to celebrate. With GJNC 18s in Salt Lake City this year, there were plenty of opportunities for teams to qualify, and many took advantage of the local (MEQ, Hoosier regionals) opportunities. Here are the two teams from Indiana that have qualified to play in 18 Open in Salt Lake City this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Munciana 18 Samurai</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The who's who of 18s teams in Indiana, Munciana plays their schedule on both sides of the volleyball coin---high-level JVA and USA tournaments dot their schedule, and they travel enough to get an extensive look at how they stack up against others around the country. This huge roster has so many athletes from multiple states that could be mentioned here, but four really stood out to me this season. For one, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152944' first='Charlotte' last='Vinson'],</strong> Miss Volleyball for the state of Indiana, is a success story just by BEING on the court, let alone her successes while playing. The Indiana commit continues to reel in the accolades that could fill multiple families' mantles, and is only getting stronger as this season concludes. I've been high on one player in particular that has more than held her own in the middle, and that's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443848' first='Carsyn' last='Comer'].</strong> The class of '27 product certainly doesn't play like it, and her size, speed and athleticism will earn her a Power Four offer this summer. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153107' first='Lindsey' last='Mangelson']</strong> is a hard-hitting, high-flying outside that seems to lead each and every roster she's on in kills, and has developed into a solid Power Four primary-passing outside hitter. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='282018' first='Cienna' last='Lapsley']</strong> is another in the high-flying category, and although she's just recently committed to Ohio U, her athleticism and work ethic have shone through on this roster of studs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Circle City 18 Purple</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The flagship team for Circle City has a ton of talent up and down the roster. Three in particular have always been at the top of their game consistently, starting with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152943' first='Logan' last='Bell'].</strong> The Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year was a commit to Oregon to play both indoor and outdoor ball for the Ducks, but with the coaching change came a commitment change. Miss Bell will stay in the Power Four by reopening her recruitment and accepted her earned offer from Kansas. I'm so proud of the resiliency and commitment to excellence that Logan has shown over the years, even as a freshman starter on Roncalli's varsity---which is rare in its own right. The only other kid I can think of that started as a freshman at Roncalli is currently the libero at Texas, <strong>Emma Halter.</strong> In the middle, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173248' first='Reese' last='Dunkle']</strong> had her own reopening of recruitment after major coaching changes at her original stop, Northwestern. No worries---this long and lean jumper from Center Grove will now head to the west coast and play for Stanford. Reese is another kid that has always been there at the highest levels of club and high school volleyball since I can remember, and it's an absolute blessing to have covered her over the years. Finally, the player that caught my eye just as the pandemic was lifting was none other than <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173239' first='Avery' last='Freeman'].</strong> A Bloomington North product, Avery's rise to a commitment for her hometown university came with years of the painstaking grind that only fully committed volleyball players understand. The anchor on defense and serve receive for any roster she's on, Avery is proof that talent and work ethic can come from anywhere and can earn you the highest of honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->