MidEast Setters Who Stood Out At Central Zone 15s/16s Open
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I write primarily for Wisconsin, Iowa, a little Illinois, a little Minnesota, so to be able to come to Indiana and see a whole new group of athletes was incredibly exciting. I am always amazed at the youth movement of…
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Continue ReadingI write primarily for Wisconsin, Iowa, a little Illinois, a little Minnesota, so to be able to come to Indiana and see a whole new group of athletes was incredibly exciting. I am always amazed at the youth movement of setters. They are playing in the 15s and 16s Open level and making plays that are purely based on their IQ that is so tough to teach, it’s the extra sixth sense of theirs of what to do and when. Here are a few from the 15 and 16 Open level that eye catching and made a huge statement at Central Zone this past weekend.
Megan Holder – VC United 151 (IL)
VC United is still in its infancy stages of being a top club and they continue to improve each year. The club out of the Rockford, Illinois area has consistently produced top setters and Megan Holder is next in line. She was able to get her team in the right position to score points and was able to run the show as a 5-1 when I saw her where she wasn’t afraid to take it herself. VC United 151 advanced to the Gold Bracket on Sunday which is a solid start for a club who will look to make some waves in 2021.
Nicole Cornell – Adversity 15 Adidas (IL)
Cornell is going to be a dual threat for Adversity where she was able to play right side and set. The lefty is long, athletic, and has a solid all around skill set for Adversity who had some narrow losses on Day 1 where you can just see the makings of a team who is going to be dangerous. Adversity is establishing themselves as a powerful club in the Chicagoland as well as the rest of the greater Midwest and beyond.
Kylie Schulze – VC United 161 (IL)
Schulze is the leader on this VC United team where they are well rounded, fundamentally sound, and play with a very high IQ. Great hands, even better feet, Schulze can anticipate to get to the ball with her hands to find a way to get the ball to her top attackers with the best match up. Her defense is also extremely solid and is the type of setter you want on your side, a security blanket so to say where she is cool, calm, and collected in all situations.
Macy Hinshaw Macy Hinshaw 5'9" | S Hamilton Southeastern | 2024 State #75 Nation IN – Circle City 16 Purple (IN)
Hinshaw keeps the ball moving and can definitely push the tempo with her attackers. This 16s team is well balanced, but in order to make a well-balanced offense work, you need a setter who knows what to do in various situations. She’s long, lean and packs a punch with how gritty she is with how she’s not afraid to go for it at the net. She also knows how to hold a middle to jump set to the pin and get a one on one matchup. Just a fun athlete to watch.
Alexis Thatcher – Academy 16E Yeti (IN)
Super impressive. Thatcher has the size at 5’11, receives the ball high, makes jump setting look easy and can remain neutral while pushing the ball to either pin. Great court presence, positive body language, and can run the full show. She’s an exciting athlete with plenty of pieces around her from a solid first contact to multiple attackers who can terminate. I look forward to seeing Thatcher play later in 2021 because her ceiling is incredibly high!
Luca Fickell – Tri-State Elite 16 Blue
I watched this Tri-State team a few times and was really impressed with their team athleticism. Fickell has the length at the net to be a presence with her blocking and can even attack when the opportunity presents itself. She is high caliber, put a star next to her name type of player. Her connection with middle blocker, Ivey Stocks was money as they connected for some highlight worthy points.
Grace Purichia Grace Purichia 5'7" | S Providence | 2023 State #149 Nation IN – Union 16-1 UA
Cold Blooded. This Union team is extremely gritty and showed that in their three set win over Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold in the final match Saturday. Purichia does it out of every rotation where she can score points serving, she gets her hands to the ball, and is a pure fighter on the court. Her teammates feed off her energy and is one who can will her team to win. She makes the big time sets, and is always talking and making touchpoints with her teammates. So impressed.
Emery Moore Emery Moore 5'10" | S North Central | 2024 State IN – Circle City 15 Purple
Moore moves around the court with great feet and a maturity that is beyond someone at the 15s level. She has consistent body language, has late setter’s demeanor where she is picking up her teammates and knowing when to set the hot hand. Circle’s match against Sting 15 Gold was back and forth the whole time before Circle pulled out the 15-12 set three victory. Setters really are the security blanket for their team and that’s what Moore does. She keeps them together and her teammates know everything will be ok if they can get Moore the ball.
Ava Harris – Team Pineapple 15 Black
Team Pineapple advanced to the Gold Bracket for 15 Open falling to Tri-State Elite with the second set going 32-30. This is a dynamic team who has depth at the pins and a solid setter in Ava Harris. Harris makes all the routine plays, great hands, and a smooth release to give her attackers a chance to score. This will be an exciting team to keep tabs on where plenty of their opponents over this weekend they will be sure to see later in the season.