Ranking Top Tri-State Area 15s Teams
As we make our way through the club season, we are seeing the field of teams start to sort themselves out regarding those that are national-level contenders. Here are the top three teams in the Tri-State Area (Cincinnati and Northern…
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Continue ReadingAs we make our way through the club season, we are seeing the field of teams start to sort themselves out regarding those that are national-level contenders. Here are the top three teams in the Tri-State Area (Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky) at this point in the season.
#1 NKYVC 15 Tsunami (featured image)
Having fallen just shy of a GJNC bid opportunity this past weekend at MEQ in Indianapolis by a slim margin in point percentage, this team is poised to rebound at their upcoming qualifying events as they have the talent to compete well on the top stage as they have already battled and won against some of the best, including a Bluegrass gold title and a runner-up gold finish in St. Louis, in addition to the recent 5th place finish in gold at MEQ. One of the most athletic and dynamic arms in the nation at this age group is 6’1
Julia Hunt
Julia
Hunt
6'1" | MB
Holy Cross (Covington) | 2024
State
#11
Nation
KY
. Her ability to play above the net on both sides of the ball is effortless as she can terminate with range and heat from anywhere across the net. Her lift off the floor and length make it very difficult to slow her down while she creates a lot of pressure on opposing attackers defensively.
Alivia Skidmore
Alivia
Skidmore
OH
St. Henry | 2024
State
#64
Nation
KY
can also terminate the ball at a high clip as she elevates with ease and has a great arm that benefits well from her high contact point. Both of these athletes have good all-around skills that include great range when used in the back row. The offense is led by
Abby Yoder
Abby
Yoder
5'10" | S
Kings | 2024
State
#101
Nation
OH
who continues to develop in her decision-making to match the touch and location she provides to get these big attackers on tempo. Other key contributors include middle
Lilly Hamburg
Lilly
Hamburg
6'0" | MB
Conner | 2024
State
KY
, outside
Lilly Gillespie
Lilly
Gillespie
5'8" | OH
Turpin | 2024
State
OH
, and defensive dandy in
Elizabeth Tabeling
Elizabeth
Tabeling
5'7" | DS/L
St. Henry | 2024
State
#127
Nation
KY
. Tough serving, solid defense, and big arms are signatures of this squad and when minimizing errors they are very good. There results include recent wins over
Tri-State Elite
and Elevation in the semi-finals and finals at Bluegrass.
Tri-State Elite
15 Blue
With 3rd place finishes at both Central Zones and Bluegrass, two of the premier early-season events, this team has established themselves as a handful for opponents. Outside hitter
Reese Wuebker
Reese
Wuebker
5'10" | OH
Centerville | 2024
State
#57
Nation
OH
is a gem. She is very athletic and dynamic given her elevation and arm speed, but also in that she can change attack points making it difficult to track her throughout point flow. Outside attacker
Sophia Adkins
Sophia
Adkins
6'0" | OH
Mercy McAuley | 2024
State
#71
Nation
OH
complements Wuebker well and brings a different style with her reach through her high contact point. Her speed may be less dynamic but her length creates match up issues.
Molly Dorger
Molly
Dorger
6'0" | MB
St. Ursula | 2024
State
OH
and
Faith Young
Faith
Young
6'0" | OH
Harrison | 2024
State
OH
are the primary middles and can score around the setter when utilized although this team has good depth and strength on the pins, where most of their offense goes. Two critical elements are
Maria Drapp
Maria
Drapp
5'9" | S
Mercy McAuley | 2024
State
OH
, this team’s setter and floor leader, and libero Alexis Woolf. They control these two aspects of point flow well from their respective roles that help get this offense in system often. Additional depth on the offensive side, with their ball control and arms, includes
Kelsey Niesen
Kelsey
Niesen
5'9" | DS/L
Roger Bacon | 2024
State
OH
,
Addy Brus
Addy
Brus
5'10" | OH
St. Ursula | 2024
State
OH
, and Kiana Dinn.
Elevation 15 Chicas
This squad has battled well so far earning great respect in this age division after the following finishes: 5th in Indy (Central Zones), 11th in St. Louis (President’s Day), 2nd in Louisville (Bluegrass), and 13th in Indy (MEQ). One of their biggest strengths is the ability to create good balance in their offense when in-system.
Sydney Barrett
Sydney
Barrett
6'0" | OH
Kings | 2024
State
#119
Nation
OH
is long and can get on top of the ball well from the left side, while also showing good ability to score from a variety of attack points.
Elise Marchal
Elise
Marchal
6'0" | MB
Kings | 2024
State
#118
Nation
OH
is one of their most versatile athletes as she can score from anywhere as a left side arm or as a middle on quicker tempos or overhead off one foot.
Gabrielle Jones
Gabrielle
Jones
5'11" | RS
Chaminade | 2024
State
OH
contributes well on both sides of the ball as she can close down hitters well when blocking and can stretch the defense away from the setter either in front or behind. Some of the biggest contributions away from the big arms comes from
Lily Bolen
Lily
Bolen
5'6" | S
Lebanon | 2024
State
OH
and
Payton Evans
Payton
Evans
5'6" | S
Mason | 2023
State
OH
as both have versatility to run this team’s faster tempo with good accuracy from the setting role while also capable of playing other roles in the passing and attacking aspects of the game. They have good athleticism and competitiveness that, combined with composure through their hands and distribution, should keep this team rolling.