Formerly an active and springy middle for last year’s 15 Purple squad, Sophia (there’s an A at the end of her name) is a full-time right side, and looks every bit the part of a terminating and athletic pin attacker. Able to hit from anywhere, her upper body strength and constantly active feet in transition show all the traits of a next-level recruit that can make a difference as anything from an outlet attacker to a primary cog in the offense of any open-level squad. Between Brownsburg and Circle, Miss Orlando is getting plenty of high-end training that has her seamlessly transitioning from middle to right side, where she looks even more natural.

With a full capability to play either pin at the next level, Sophie is a compact, aggressive and strong attacker that can do a little of everything on the volleyball court. Currently, she’s dominating unsuspecting blockers as a right side attacker, and is taking advantage of any team with a lack of discipline on defense at the net. Currently residing on the 16 Black (read: 16-2) squad at Circle, she’s easily a 1s player in any other program, and will make waves on the recruiting trail for the remainder of the club season, including at GJNCs right here in Indy this summer.

Sophie Orlando, an impactful player from Brownsburg High School in Indiana, continues to showcase her strength on the court. In a tight 3-2 win over Zionsville on October 2, she delivered an impressive performance with 17 kills over 5 sets, averaging 3.4 kills per set and hitting at a strong .319 efficiency with only 2 errors on 47 attacks. Just days earlier, on September 30, she played a key role in Brownsburg’s 3-1 victory over TWHHS, contributing 13 kills in 4 sets (3.3 K/S) and maintaining a kill percentage of 41.9% on 31 total attacks. Her consistent offensive production and ability to convert opportunities have been a major factor in her team’s recent success.

Although listed as 5’9″ on multiple websites (including this one), Miss Orlando can terminate from the middle as well as the right side. I like her high and hard swing, tooling the block regularly while both in- and out-of-system. She’s probably going to be a pin attacker at the next level because of her size, but for now, her ability to play both positions makes her a nightmare to defend.

Good luck finding a RS hitter who can hit down the line as a 15-year-old like Sophie. She can take just about any set on the right pin and turn it down the line for the kill (a very advanced skill). This is a real advantage at this age because many 15s teams’ defenses aren’t able to practice against someone who can hit so hard and effectively down the line. Orlando also knows when to mix an off speed shot just over the block, as well as light up the seam or blast it really sharp cross court (think on the 10′ line HARD). This tournament, Sophie was a blocking machine on the right side and was able to really create some hitting errors by the opponents OHs. In fact, in the championship match, the game ended on a hitting error by the OH, likely due to the blocks Sophie had earlier in the set. And because Orlando has good experience in the middle, she can also run quick sets and a slide, making her very versatile and a threat from anywhere.

Orlando is one of two players on this list who will be competing in the Open Division this weekend. Last year she was an integral part of a 14-1s squad at Circle City that hovered in the top 5 nationally all year. Sophie brings exceptional versatility to her team, being able to excel at both the MB and RS positions. Any team would be so lucky to have a player who can play multiple positions at this high of a level! There are two main qualities that set this young lady apart for me – her confidence as an attacker to take big swings and her solid blocking ability (she has the potential on the RS to shut opposing OHs down). I look for Sophie to make her presence known to opposing hitters all weekend long, as well as for the remainder of the club season, on this highly touted Circle City squad.

Sophie will be playing in the 15 Open Division this weekend.