CZC: What I Liked On Saturday
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In a follow-up to the series of Central Zone Invites that invade the Indiana Convention Center, a smaller, more local tournament called the Central Zone Championships includes teams on a more regional level. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to…
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Continue ReadingIn a follow-up to the series of Central Zone Invites that invade the Indiana Convention Center, a smaller, more local tournament called the Central Zone Championships includes teams on a more regional level. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to reflect on a few players I saw. Here’s what I found:
Circle City 15 White
Making it to the gold bracket was a tall task for this undersized team, but they still did well enough to perform. Although looking slight, libero Liv Tarter (’23, DS) was responsible for the lion’s share of serve receive and defense, and helped propel this program into the upper echelon of teams in the 15/16 division. Abby Sollenberger Abby Sollenberger 6'2" | MB Brownsburg | 2024 State IN (’24, MB, 6-0) was a huge part of their offense, as her size and strength made many differences in multiple matches. Setter Macy Chafin (’24, S, 5-8) ran a nice 5-1, and got to a ton of balls the average setter just can’t. I like her footwork and hands, as she had to deal with a ton of out-of-system balls all weekend.
Munciana 15 Warriors
Another undersized team playing with the big girls, the Warriors were led by Lillian Stanton (’24, S, 5-7), a fast and accurate setter that ran a 5-1 as best she could with the ball control provided. Her middles, Annie Canada (’24, MB, 5-10) and Jenna Kerrigan (’24, MB, 5-9) were major factors in their offense, and were clearly the most athletic players on Munciana’s squad. Both can attack from in front of or behind the setter well.
Circle City 16 White
Also making the gold bracket on Sunday was this squad, led by setter Kelsie Hankins Kelsie Hankins 5'7" | S Avon | 2023 State IN (’23, S, 5-8), who I’m pretty sure is incapable of having a ball handling error. Her hands were among the best on the weekend I saw, and ran a great offense with accurate, hittable balls consistently. I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Pelfree Elizabeth Pelfree 5'11" | MB McCutcheon | 2023 State IN (’23, MB, 5-11), who used her size to her advantage and attacks high and deep. Spitfire outside hitter Shelby Clements Shelby Clements 5'7" | OH Monrovia | 2023 State IN (’23, OH, 5-6) is also listed as a DS, but her jumping ability can make her a six-rotation outside at a small college near you.