PrepDig Matches Of The Week For Week 4

Want a subscription to PrepDig? Use code Kyp30 for a deep discount off of your national subscription!   There are hundreds of high-level matches being played around Indiana in the volleyball world, and we're here to break down the top matches you should attend this week. As it turns out, all three are on Tuesday, September 9, in three distinctly different parts of the state.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Yorktown (8-4) at Hamilton Southeastern (9-1), Sept 9</h2>   In what has become an annual rite of passage for both teams, this is a “see where we stand” match leading off week four of our season. Both will make waves in 4A in the postseason, and both feature amazing young talents that are both college-committed and available. For the Tigers, a pair of freshman are next to carry the Yorktown flag. [player_tooltip player_id='847527' first='Kendall' last='Rowray'] is an exceptional pass-to-attack outside hitter that should never come out of the game for any reason. Her stats are eye-popping: over four kills per set, hitting well north of .300, all while being a primary passer in serve receive. That's a lot to ask of a freshman, but she's more than capable of handling the pressure. Her setter, [player_tooltip player_id='848319' first='Landree' last='Johnson'], is another high-end freshman talent that has amassed almost 400 assists on the young season, the most of any setter listed in today's article. Neither play like freshman, and neither make the standard “freshman errors” that you would expect. In short, these two are well-trained and will reset expectations for Yorktown for years to come. The Royals, on the other hand, are a senior-heavy squad with a ton of firepower. [player_tooltip player_id='261036' first='Madison' last='Miles'] (Illinois) and [player_tooltip player_id='229027' first='Merritt' last='Sliwa'] (Ball State) are both college-bound, yet have one more hurdle to cross before their career comes to an end. Combined, they are decision 1 and 1A in the offense, combining for over 6 kills per set. Although their middles are efficient, and the pass-and-set game is solid, the season rides on the Royals' pin attackers. They'll be sure to patch their wounds from their first loss this past weekend to play yet another elite 4A program on Tuesday.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Roncalli (12-2) at Center Grove (8-6), Sept 9</h2>   After a major injury to setter [player_tooltip player_id='252404' first='Addie' last='Haberthy'] (Xavier), it was rumored that there would be a “growing pains” portion of the season to acclimate the new setter to the program. But as the old saying goes, rumors of the Royals' demise were greatly exaggerated. Freshman Norah Bell stepped right in and already has more than 300 assists on the season, looking like she's always been there. She doesn't have Addie's size, but the skill is clearly there, and is a pleasant surprise for Roncalli fans. Her main target this fall has been [player_tooltip player_id='254827' first='Lydia' last='Stahley'] (Missouri), whose 4+ kills per set are much needed in this balanced offense. Those two losses are to arch rival Cathedral, and the second one came this past Saturday. The defending 3A champ isn't last year's team, but a repeat title is completely possible. For the Trojans, youth is where the majority of the talent is. Junior outside [player_tooltip player_id='807987' first='Kaylen' last='Plunkard'] hits a heavy ball and is tough from behind the baseline. Her 3+ kills per set, plus the aces she provides, gives fits to opposing defenses. A nice freshman talent on this squad is [player_tooltip player_id='880811' first='Gabby' last='Gilliard'], who hits even HARDER than Kaylen, and has that smooth athleticism that very few freshmen have in this state. She's able to put balls away from anywhere, and has a developing all-around game; with 3kps and 3dps in her stat file, she's someone to watch for future recruitment.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Barr-Reeve (11-3) at Springs Valley (10-0), Sept 9</h2>   Southern Indiana will be given a treat of a small-school match between the Vikings and the Blackhawks. Both run their season deep into October in their respective classes, and both have a ton of talent and potential. For the Vikings, [player_tooltip player_id='226808' first='Addison' last='Jones'] has always been there, filling the stat sheet in all categories. She's probably the most well-rounded player mentioned in today's article, contributing in kills, efficiency and digs, while also leading this roster in aces. Her constant presence for years at B-R will be missed after this season. Programs like this one always have a reload capacity, and that comes in the form of [player_tooltip player_id='884194' first='Joslyn' last='Knepp']. JJ is cut from a similar cloth as Addison—-athletic, able to do multiple things on the court, and efficient. Combined with Miss Jones, these two attackers average over 6 kills per set while hitting over .350 overall. There are other role players for the Vikings (Valkyries?) that add to this squad's success, but these are the two I'm watching. As for the Blackhawks, the success starts and ends with Bellarmine commit [player_tooltip player_id='209451' first='Maddie' last='Carnes']. She's moved to full-time setter, but can and will sneak in a kill or two per set to keep defenses honest. Her primary focus when running the offense is [player_tooltip player_id='815389' first='Kinsey' last='Saliba'], who's already over 4 kps, leading in blocks (as a middle!) and hits well over .350 on the season. These two, combined with a host of athletic volleyballers, make this 1A program go, and will be a force to deal with when late October comes around.

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