Rising Stars: Young Talent Jumping on the Radar!

I love scouting the young players…especially ones that are so good that make your jaw drop. I love it even more when I see a fantastic player, jot down their name, and then discover later on that they are much younger than the age level they were just competing in. I know for sure that those athletes are going to be big time studs as they continue to grow and develop their games over the upcoming years.   The following are some of the recent young 2029 and 2030 show stoppers that I have stumbled upon the past couple of months. Below are their names. If you don't know them now, you soon will…and will be hearing about them for many years as their volleyball careers haven't even really begun yet.   Remember to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigamy and Facebook @PrepDig Amy for up to date event coverage, stories, and more.    I have seen Raedel play a few times this year (one tournament playing up two age levels) and each time I am amazed with her power and perception. Standing at 6'2”, this young middle and right side of 2029 plays at a level much higher than her stature. Raedel has a hammer for an arm, solid vertical, and fluid movements that make her a force to be reckoned with on the court. Constantly working on her skills, Raedel is a girl going places in the volleyball world.     I actually happened to see Streeter at a local, school based tournament a month ago and was immediately impressed. This 7th grader not only has solid mechanics, but she also has the drive, grit, and versatility you look for in an outside hitter. Streeter can already be seen taking big swings from all over the court - including the back row.     Stortz is another discovery for me at a small, school based tournament this spring. However, upon some further research, I see that she saw the varsity court as a 7th grader multiple times last fall. Stortz is an athletic player that can attack from both the pins and out of the middle. She has a high point of contact, moves quickly, and has a big snap that lets her terminate balls to both sides of the back court. Mable Canton seems to always have a successful volleyball program so it will be fun to watch Stortz's journey over the next couple of years.     Chesney is a libero with a ton of potential. I saw her at tournament in Wisconsin Dells this winter and was impressed with with ability to read the ball early and move quickly. She was solid in both serve receive and defense. Chesney also covers her attackers well which gave her team second chance options. Chesney is only getting started and will be one I keep with up over the next couple of years.     I have seen Kettner a couple of times now and was impressed with the range on this young middle. She does a solid job reading the opposing teams setter, has quick footwork, and does a good job with her hand positioning to close blocks or get block touches. Kettner is equally impressive on the offensive end. She is quick, has an explosive approach, and a big reach that lets her get her hands on just about everything sent her way.     I was recently at a tournament in Wisconsin Dells. I stopped a court just in time to see an attacker come flying out of the middle and unleash a huge swing for a kill in a 16/17 bracket game. This was my introduction to [player_tooltip player_id='771238' first='Charley' last='Romano']. She continued to terminate balls all over the court from not only the middle, but from the pin as well. Using her vertical and explosive approach, Romano was too much for teams to handle. While all of this was fascinating to watch and discover, it was even more impressive once I found out she is only a 2029 and was playing up multiple age levels. If Romano keeps at it, she will be on many college recruiters short lists in a couple of years.     Blahosky is another player that is “playing up” multiple age levels on an elite squad. This 2030 libero is destined for great things. She has a quick read on the ball, fast first step, and creates great angles to pass efficiently off her midline. I often find that many teams target her in serve receive due to smaller size, however, they quickly alter that plan once they discover her pass rating is solid.     Van Beek is a rising star as a young, upcoming middle. She wows from the court as she is fast, has an explosive approach, and a quick arm swing. When her team is in system, you better believe the ball is usually coming her way and she is going to find a way to terminate. Van Beek is also a wall on defense. She uses her solid footwork and quick read to shut down opposing teams middles and pin hitters. Van Beek is one to keep tabs on as I believe this girl is just beginning to find her grove and will soon be a big name in the Minnesota volleyball circuit.

I love scouting the young players…especially ones that are so good that make your jaw drop. I love it even more when I see a fantastic player, jot down their name, and then discover later on that they are much younger than the age level they were just competing in. I know for sure that those athletes are going to be big time studs as they continue to grow and develop their games over the upcoming years.