Southern Indiana: 2021 Gems From South Of Johnson County

<p>Our tour of Indiana continues to hit up another solid group of players from a sparsely populated portion of the state, the southern third of Indiana. The volleyball here may not be as prevalent as Indy or Hamilton County, but it’s just as good, and in some cases, better.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85695" first="Kayden" last="Holcomb"], 5-10, MB, Union 17 Asics (17-1), Floyd Central High School</strong></p> <p>The unsung middle. The do-everything big kid. Kayden does her job, does it well, and does it quietly. She’s fast, takes up space on the block, and knows nothing but winning. Although undersized compared to her Indianapolis-area counterparts, you wouldn’t know it by how she plays.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85713" first="Anna" last="Ballengee"], 5-9, DS, Circle City 17 Purple (17-1), Barr-Reeve High School</strong></p> <p>In the void past Bloomington lies a sneaky good high school in B-R. Anna is a six-rotation player for her state-championship-level high school team (attack touch: 9-7) and is THE libero for the flagship 17s team at Circle. Anna is the definition of floor general, and she passes half the court in serve receive and defends like her life depends on it. I can’t wait until club starts up again to see this kid in action. Oh, and by the way, she already has 1000 kills in high school, and still has her senior year to go.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85715" first="Anna" last="Purichia"], 5-10, OH, Union 17 Asics (17-1), Providence High School</strong></p> <p>Perennial state champion, perennial tournament champion, perennial winner. The entire Purichia clan IS volleyball in Southern Indiana, and Anna is no exception. Her volleyball smarts come from a long line of Purichia’s, including her parents (coaches) and siblings (college-bound players and gym rats). She looks wiry, but is absolutely a hammer. From the volleyball genetics alone, she’s able to do whatever you need her to do in the front row. Her regular serve receive skills are in development, and I can’t wait until I get to see Union (or Providence) play again.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85716" first="Lexia" last="Capes"], 5-8, OH, Circle City 17 Black (17-2), Columbus East High School</strong></p> <p>I love this kid. Spitfire of a player, almost like she plays with a chip on her shoulder. Quick to the jump, smart everywhere else, Lexia has seen some of the best volleyball at CE and at Circle for a few years now. She’s lower on this list because of her attack touch (9-4), but I doubt it will stay there for long. This is yet another gym rat, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a weight room in her basement keeping the dream of playing at the next level alive.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85723" first="Isabella" last="Hinton"], 5-9, RS, Union 18 Asics (18-1), Silver Creek High School</strong></p> <p>The only entry on this list playing up a year, we finally have a lefty hammer on one of my lists. A six-rotation player, Miss Hinton has every shot in the book, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she played a little outdoor ball considering the nature and placement of each of those shots regardless of which pin she’s hitting. Attack touch is close to 9-6, and can defend right back with the best of them. </p>