Under The Radar 4A Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Want a subscription to PrepDig? Use code Kyp30 for a deep discount of your national subscription!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've talked at length about our top five teams in each class, and we're regularly seeing the cream rise to the top. What's the use in talking about the teams everyone already knows? This week, we'll spend time talking about twelve teams throughout the state that have had an excellent starting month to the season, and what those teams might do moving forward. Here they are from 4A, in no particular order.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chesterton (18-3)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northern Indiana is absolutely FILLED with volleyball talent, and Chesterton is no different. With early wins over Cathedral, Brownsburg and Penn, the Trojans have put the remainder of northern Indiana on notice that Crown Point isn't the only team in the area that can advance far in October. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='400680' first='Tenley' last='Davis']</strong> (Loyola-Chicago commit) is a heavy-hitting, no-doubt terminator that has size and strength to burn. She's D1 ready for a number of reasons, and should light the A10 on fire once she arrives next fall. Recent Michigan commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448138' first='Luca' last='Bombacino']</strong> is the other outside opposite of Tenley, and has just as much size and strength, but with a bit of jumping ability and natural athleticism that just isn't seen often in Indiana. Her ability to finish plays regularly from anywhere set her apart from most outside attackers in her class. Size continues on this squad with junior big <strong>Madison Gilliam,</strong> a 6'1” MB/RS hybrid that is exceptional on two-footed attacks and can be a problem for opposing teams looking to hit low to terminate. This trio of attackers averages 10 kill per set, and is a three-headed monster that should translate well to scoring points during the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evansville North (11-0)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here we go again! The Huskies are having yet another strong start to their season, with even more experience to go along with their size and talent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='494418' first='Libby' last='Ryan'] </strong>(Oral Roberts commit) is a big and physical attacker that is a big part of the Husky offense. <span><b>Ke</b></span><strong>nlee Barnard</strong> (Robert Morris commit) is part of the North 6-2 and attacks in the front row when she's not setting. She'll set at the next level, which is already elite. The Freels family is ready to carry the EN banner once the previous two graduate. Both <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586968' first='Madeline' last='Freels']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586940' first='Annabelle' last='Freels'] </strong>contribute to an offense that produces more than 10 kills per set between the four of them, and can even do some damage from behind the service line to boot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Castle (13-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can't talk about Evansville-area volleyball without mentioning the Knights. Castle is always in the conversation when talking about a deep run in the postseason. Even with the heavy graduation that they have year over year, Castle's “reload, not rebuild” philosophy runs top to bottom, as their underclass teams are just as successful every fall as their varsity. A more two-headed attack makes Castle go, headlined by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='730165' first='Gabby' last='Korba']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='730360' first='Paige' last='Furbee'].</strong> This pair of attackers averages about 7 kills per set while hitting north of .300 in the first month of the season. In order for this offense to REMAIN efficient, look for senior libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='795286' first='Karsyn' last='Wilhelmus']</strong> and her 4+ digs per set to be the catalyst. Her calm platform and fast feet make Castle <em>that</em> much better than most 4A teams at this level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->