From northern Indiana, Miss Beyer makes up for the apparent lack of height with lightning-fast footwork and brilliant anticipation. It also helps that she’s relentless—-on more than one occasion at our showcases, she’s crashed into chairs and covered a ton of ground just to get a second contact on a ball. Seemingly in the right position at all times, she does best when around similarly-minded defenders; relentless, vocal and quick.

I’ll say it—-I LOVE watching this kid play. She’s a 5′ bulldog of a defender, with read-and-react skills that more than make up for bigger liberi in her class—-or any other, for that matter. She’ll chase down an errant pass, receive serve in half the court if you let her, and is a second coach on the floor, directing teammates and seeing plays develop before they happen. I realize I can’t be biased, and nothing I say represents the ACTUAL future for these kids, but allow me this—-Miss Beyer will make a college roster in 2029 because of her relentlessness and sheer willpower. I’d get back into coaching again if I had a team of kids like her.

A ton of athlete in a small package, Cecelia is fully capable of being a next-level libero. After watching her vocal leadership at our Freshman Showcase, her ability to chase down errant balls and keep her team in the play was evident from her arrival. Yes, she’s small, but so are the rest of the DS’s in our world. If you’re gonna play this position, play big, which is exactly what Miss Beyer does. A word to the wise: if you’re in a situation where everyone is the same, do something different to stand out. What did Cecelia do? Lead with the libero jersey on. That’s what the best defenders bring in their gym bags.

I said it before and I’ll say it again—do not look at this kid’s size, look at her abilities. Fully capable of receiving serve in half the court and more than talented to chase down off-speed shots, Cecelia showed us exactly what she’s about when she arrived. I liked the immediate vocal and physical leadership she brought to Academy, and her play reflected her abilities; strong, solid and consistent.

Under no circumstance should this young lady be underestimated. Don’t look at her size—she covers more ground than some of the taller DS’s around. I loved her constant vocal direction, her active feet and her inability to be deterred IF an error was made. Her relentless chase was second to none on her court, and it’s obvious that this is a future varsity libero. She just carried herself different; a trait that is easily seen once the whistle blows.