Six Six-Footers From The Class Of ’23
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Indiana has its fair share of volleyball. No matter where you go in the state, there are kids of all positions and sizes available. That being said, here are six six-footers (and above) from the class of 2023 that will…
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Continue ReadingIndiana has its fair share of volleyball. No matter where you go in the state, there are kids of all positions and sizes available. That being said, here are six six-footers (and above) from the class of 2023 that will make a difference at the next level.
Quinci Thomas Quinci Thomas 6'3" | OH Brownsburg | 2023 State #138 Nation IN , 6-3 OH, Circle City, Brownsburg
In the last two years, I’ve personally watched this kid grow from “new born giraffe” to “athletic force to be reckoned with”. Her ability to jump past ten feet and hit shots no one else can is her trademark. Quinci’s serve receive is slowly but surely catching up to that level of athleticism, and it’s only a matter of time before she’s committed somewhere.
Gabby Dean Gabby Dean 6'5" | MB Columbus East | 2023 State #53 Nation IN , 6-4 MB, Team Indiana, Columbus East
Easily the top middle in Prep Dig’s 2023 rankings, Gabby has played up a year every year that I’ve been doing this gig. She can more than hold her own; I didn’t even know that she was younger than everyone else until her family told me. Defensively, she can go from pin to pin and makes hitters feel like they’re hitting in a phone booth. Offensively, she is terminal, period. This is a can’t-miss prospect that should be seeing offers any day now.
Emily Waddell Emily Waddell 6'0" | MB Carmel | 2023 State #137 Nation IN , 6-0 MB, Circle City, Carmel
From big and dominating to quick and springy, Emily gets overlooked because of her size. Just watch her; she makes the big, lumbering middles look slow and easily beats middles her size by going over, around or through them. Her length makes up for her lack of height on defense, and can go off of one foot just as easily as two.
Ava Vickers Ava Vickers 6'0" | MB Fishers | 2023 State #107 Nation IN , 6-0 MB, Munciana, Fishers
Speaking of quick and springy, Ava is another on this list that can jump over the small middles and fly past the big middles. Her defense is also quick, as she’s probably the quickest pin-to-pin defender on this list. Her arm is lightning-fast, making most of her swings terminal. I like this kid a lot—I just hope Fishers can pass better in the fall so that she can get the ball more.
Olivia Fish Olivia Fish 6'2" | OH Seymour | 2023 State #195 Nation IN , 6-3 OH, KIVA, Seymour
I had a chance to watch Miss Fish absolutely dominate in a JV match this past fall. Why she was playing JV is knowledge above my pay grade, but I think the grand plan is to turn Olivia into a three-rotation pin attacker in the near future. She can play both pins, attack all angles on both pins and defend with the best of them. She also moves with a smoothness not normally seen in sophomores at this size. Add to this package that she’s training at KIVA, and I can’t wait to see her play in the fall.
Cali Cummings Cali Cummings 6'1" | MB Seymour | 2023 State IN , 6-0 MB, Union, Seymour
Another big kid from a solid high school volleyball program, Cali is a steady, reliable, well-rounded middle who can adjust to any setter and any tempo of offense she is in. Although a bit narrow in the block, Miss Cummings still manages to get a touch on everything within arm’s reach. She’s also adept both in front of and behind the setter, though she might project as an M2 at the next level. Stay tuned on this one.