I’ve listed Lila as a middle as well as an outside because she started her playing career as a middle. Her transition to the outside was rocky at first—until she found an offensive system she liked at Academy. In the much-faster-than-average system she plays, Lila is a hammer on the left pin and uses her length as her strength against undisciplined blocks not accustomed to the speed. It’s not often a player can make the transition from middle to outside without being 6’3″+, yet Lila is doing so in a quick offense requiring fast transitioning feet and an approach that is based on timing and situation. The one thing I keep forgetting should be the most obvious reason for lauding Lila—she’s doing all of this on a team a year older than she. By now, she’s more than mastered the move to the outside, and it’s only a matter of time before a collegiate program finds what they need in Miss Bruszewski’s skill set.

Last season, Lila was a middle transitioning to playing outside. She did fine, to a point. Now a full-time outside hitter with Academy’s 17-1, she’s in a fast offense and has learned the quick footwork that’s necessary for this particular offensive system to work. Add in the high jumping ability (ten foot club, I believe) and the pace she puts on the ball, and you can see immediately that her transition to the left pin is nearly complete. Some may argue that she fits “just this system”—my argument remains; she’s now played two different positions at an elite open level. What’s not to like?

Listed as a middle on Academy’s 17-1, Lila has spent almost the entire time with her new crew on the left pin as part of one of the fastest offenses in the region. Starting to grow into her athleticism, her rhythm with her setter is exceptional, and she really showed out recently at the Triple Crown tournament in Kansas City a couple of weeks ago. Hitting high and hard with pace, Lila has all of the volleyball smarts to turn out-of-system plays into points, and can hit any angle when in-system. I haven’t seen much in serve receive from her this club season, but her attacking is so terminal right now that it might not matter.

One of the younger athletes in the Elite Pool division this weekend, Lila is a recent transfer from Circle City, and is a next-level talent in the middle. She has the whole package—size, speed, athleticism, volleyball acuity—there’s no part of her game that DOESN’T scream college-ready. Already near the ten foot attack level, Lila uses a combination of brute strength and a high volleyball IQ to terminate from the middle. She had a tough high school season this past fall, so here’s to hoping that her true talents come out to recruiters this club season.

A recent transfer from Circle, Lila did a little pin attacking to go along with her middle play. I’m thinking she’s staying more as a middle at Academy, as they have plenty of pins to go around. She’s the only ’27 on a team of ’26s, some of which are already committed to play at the next level. Playing up an age should definitely help her recruiting prospects and see where she stands on the national level.