4A Preview: #9-12
Class 4A is under review in this article, with our peek at #9-12 of the season. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this, however, without the help of Zach McCrite, a fellow volleyball official and volley dork, who…
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Continue ReadingClass 4A is under review in this article, with our peek at #9-12 of the season. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this, however, without the help of Zach McCrite, a fellow volleyball official and volley dork, who runs the IndianaPrepVolleyball.com website. If you’re at all interested in Indiana high school volleyball, go check it out.
I’ll also take the time to name the MVR, or Most Valuable Returnee, for each team listed.
#12: Castle, 31-5
31-5 and only #12? Yes, because of the strength of schedule. You cannot expect to crack the top ten in 4A with an SOS of #46. That being said, this was a young Knights team that probably had to schedule easier because of their youth. I expect this team to advance to the regional again, but unless they schedule tougher, they won’t find a way past Providence, a top 5 team every year.
MVR: Lizzie Bailey Lizzie Bailey 6'0" | OH Castle | 2022 State IN , ’22, 6-0, OH/RS
Lizzie is a kid capable of hitting on either pin, but the majority of her touches I saw were on the left pin, hence listing OH as the #1 position. This is a heavy arm with jumping ability that should make a difference in the low-D1/high-D2 area come fall of 2022. I hope there are others behind her at Castle that can help. They’re gonna need it offensively.
#11: La Porte, 27-6
In the top 13 in class 4A, only one team (Brownsburg, listed below) had less than 27 wins. 27!!! Their sectional does them no favors, as I can’t remember the last time the Slicers dropped a set in the sectional. The problem, like Castle above, is the regional. Penn is THE largest school on any list I will post, and with all of that talent to draw from, you’ll need to either (1) schedule tougher, or (2) get every kid that feeds into La Porte High School to play club out of the womb. No category leaders for the Slicers graduate, but enough talent graduates to make them a little iffy in this position.
MVR: Aniya Kennedy Aniya Kennedy 6'0" | MB La Porte | 2022 State IN , ’22, 6-0, MB
Bounce. She can bounce every set thrown at her because she can bounce off of the floor. I would not doubt if she’s at or above 10’ in her attack touch, since the angle at which she hits is so dynamic. She led the Slicers in kills, blocks and hitting percentage (.432!). This is a no-doubt athlete that can only get better. I can only imagine her going to a pin and bouncing on those poor pin blockers with her jumping ability.
#10: Brownsburg, 20-12
I can’t WAIT until the fall. This team is young, big and almost ready to take over this sectional. Playing the sixth-toughest schedule in the state certainly prepped the Bulldogs for the sectional, but with Avon (#20) consistently standing in their way, Achilles’ heel has nothing on this weakness. Here’s to hoping the volleyball gods keep those two teams on opposite sides of the sectional bracket.
MVR: Quinci Thomas Quinci Thomas 6'3" | OH Brownsburg | 2023 State #138 Nation IN , ’23, 6-3, OH, Prep Dig #2
Ten foot jumper? Check. Lead the high school team in kills in 2019 as a freshman? Check. Thumper? Double check. She’s slowly but surely learning front-row defense, which is scary, considering the impact that she has on a match right now. Perspective: the only kid on our rankings ahead of Quinci made the US Youth National Training Team. ’Nuff said.
#9: Munster, 26-7
19-17 in the fifth. That’s what separated the Mustangs from a date in the regional final. Losing a setter, libero and M1 to graduation won’t help this exceptional program, but they have youth and club players that consistently get their training in the Chicagoland area. In this author’s opinion, there’s better training across the border in the Chicago area than in Northwest Indiana. These kids are certainly taking advantage of it. Now, more of them need to play that high level of ball to make it to the regional final and beyond.
MVR: Haley Melby Haley Melby 6'1" | OH Munster | 2022 State #93 Nation IN , ’22, 6-1, OH, Iowa commit
Being #1 in kills and aces and having a Big Ten-level pin attacker certainly helps your team’s success. Let’s highlight another player, Lourdes Torres Lourdes Torres 5'9" | OH Munster | 2021 State IN (’21, 5-9, OH, Michio Chicago), who happens to be #2 in both of those categories, along with being #2 in digs last fall. These two are opposite each other in high school. If someone else, ANYONE else, steps up in the regional semifinal in set 5, we’re talking about a semi state representative from the North. Both of these kids return for 2020. Watch out, northern Indiana.