More Illinois 2022’s to Know During The Live Evaluation Period
Triple Crown was a great way to see plenty of Illinois athletes. If you are a top athlete in Illinois, you are going to get noticed based on the depth of talent, the high level of training, and the type…
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Continue ReadingTriple Crown was a great way to see plenty of Illinois athletes. If you are a top athlete in Illinois, you are going to get noticed based on the depth of talent, the high level of training, and the type of athletes who continue to come out the state. I’m not just referring to the Chicago area (which don’t get me wrong…there are great players), but this crosses the entire state. Here are more athletes to keep on your radar throughout the “Live” period over the next two months.
Chelsea Thorpe – 1st Alliance 16 Silver
Thorpe #12 (Far Left)Thorpe is a new member of 1st Alliance and she is right there with some of the top athletes. This past weekend she was on the right side and she puts up a really big block and with top training and high level competition week in and week out. I see a ton of upside in Thorpe and she is still developing her all-around game, she is right there and moments away from being a dominant player.
Kylie Martin – Epic United 16 Rox
Martin is the libero for Epic which she moved smoothly around the court. She is under control and just plays with great composure and consistently. This past weekend with their run to the sweet sixteen at Triple Crown, Martin was key in getting that first contact on point to keep the offensive system running. They will have another big weekend at the WCPL in Bracket A of the 15/16 Open level.
Anna Baranski – Uno 16 Elite
FlynnBaranski is the do it all type setter where she can run the show as in a 5-1, 6-2, or can even be used as a really solid defender in the backrow. She can set a variety of tempos for her attackers to score, but she also can make an impact at the net with her block and also score points from the service lines. Volleyball runs deep in the Baranski family and will be fun to see where her recruiting process takes her.
Lily Barry – Illini Elite 16 Cardinal
Hard not to like this Illini Elite 16 Cardinal team with their versatility and how they can play a variety of positions. Plus, they just flat out get after it and play hard. Lily Barry is one of those players from the Class of 2023 (playing up), who can whale on the pin, putting a major hurt on the ball, but her backcourt ability is really a shining star with her ability to put a clean ball to the setter and serve receive on point.
Jayden Flynn – VC United 161
I really like how Flynn just runs the show. She is solid in all rotations running a 5-1 for a high powered VC United 161 Elite squad. The team has big point scorers on the outside with Ella Holmstrom (Indiana) and Kaitlin Leider (Bradley), but she can distribute to all of her options to keep the offense running on all cylinders.
Savannah Brandt – VC United 161
VC United will be one of the premier teams in another week at the JVA Mizuno Showcase at the Wisconsin Dells. Brandt is a middle blocker showing great promise with her size and strength on the front line. She works hard working laterally to get to the pin to close the block and can transition to be available to attack, working with setter Jayden Flynn. As she continues to evolve in her offensive game she will be a dominant go-to out of the middle.
Emma Bleecher – Illini Elite 16 Cardinal
Violent arms swing, she is going to put a ton of pace on her swing and makes it tough to get a clean first contact out of it. At Triple Crown, there was one play where she came out of the middle on a two ball where she can multiple options and just hammered a hard angle to score a point. What makes her as well as the other attackers on the Illini Elite squad is they can hit from anywhere, making them unpredictable and tough to defend as a team.
Amanda Cleary – Sky High 16 Adidas
Cleary is not the typical libero, she could probably step into the front line and do some damage as an attacker as well, but when you can pass on point and serve receive she is the best one for the spot. Cleary plays with little wasted movement, she’s very intentional with her feet and platform, maybe the difficult plays look routine. Great teams don’t go far with an average libero, and for Sky High 16 Adidas, they have a good one who will be key in come qualifier season.