Five 2024 Outside Hitters To Watch
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College coaches across the country would agree that attacking is only one aspect of the outside hitter position. The position is actually a total ball control position and is usually filled by the player who can do it all: serve,…
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Continue ReadingCollege coaches across the country would agree that attacking is only one aspect of the outside hitter position. The position is actually
a total ball control position and is usually filled by the player who can do it all: serve, pass, dig, block, and they know how to put the ball away or keep it in play as an attacker. These young athletes I’m about to discuss are all six-rotation outside hitters who college coaches should watch for in the Wisconsin Class of 2024.
Aaliyah Krenn Aaliyah Krenn 6'1" | MB Columbus Catholic | 2024 State WI – 2024 – 6’1 – Middle Blocker/Pin Hitter – Marshfield – Wisconsin Ice 15 Purple
Krenn is fun to watch and her very high contact point makes her almost unblockable from anywhere along the net. She sees the court well, so she knows where the ball needs to go, and she hits the line well but shines when it’s time to turn hard cross. Krenn’s amazing setter at Wisconsin Ice gives her a lot of one-on-one opportunities to score. Her off-blocker defense is really strong with her ability to hand dig and cover a lot of court space. When her team needs a kill to get out of serve-receive, they can count on Krenn.
Grace Turlais – 2024 – Outside Hitter – Oak Creek – Oak Creek K-Force 15 Blue
When Turlais hits the ball, you can see she makes a really solid contact and it helps her score at will. It’s no wonder why her Oak Creek setters feed her the ball. Turlais plays all 6 rotations, and while she is dangerous in the front row, she shows off her ball control when she gets into the back row. She really is a raw athlete who could do great things when she hits the varsity court, and you can tell her teammates put a lot of trust in her.
Ava Krueger Ava Krueger 5'8" | OH Marathon | 2024 State WI – 2024 – 5’8 – Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker – Marathon – Wisconsin Ice 15 Purple
Balanced, strength, and fast footwork comes to mind when I watch Krueger play. When she engages her core while playing the ball, she is terminal and it is evident in her high tempo attacks. Krueger’s solid attacking skills make her a terrific weapon. She has all the tools you want in a six-rotation outside and can terminate from anywhere on the court. Krueger’s ceiling for development is even higher than her vertical and contact point.
Margaret Hahnke – 2024 – 5’7 – Outside Hitter – Fox Valley Lutheran – Wisconsin Blaze 15 Black
Hahnke has a whip of an arm from the back row where she really thrives. She can score in a variety of ways, such as hitting high off hands, tooling the block, and turning line when she needs to. Hahnke plays with a solid Wisconsin Blaze team, and I’m eager to see how she develops in the coming years. She is as solid as they come on defense and is instrumental in her team’s success this season.
Rayna McArdle – 2024 – Setter/Pin Hitter – Holmen – V-Hawk Xtreme 16-Adidas
This high-flying six-rotation player from Holmen is really fun to watch. McArdle is quick off the ground when attacking high tempo sets from either pin. She is fun to watch taking big swings, but it is just as fun to watch her set. McArdle commands so much of the game and has quite an arsenal of attack options. She really is a go-to hitter when they need a kill and a dynamic leader on the court.
This is just a few of some really talented outsides in this freshman class. Be on the lookout for more articles with some more talented outside hitters!