Pin Attackers I Liked At The Early Bird Shootout
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We’re almost at the end of the week, and have another position group to touch on before moving on. There were a bunch of highly skilled pin attackers that made me pause and watch this past Sunday. Here are a…
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Continue ReadingWe’re almost at the end of the week, and have another position group to touch on before moving on. There were a bunch of highly skilled pin attackers that made me pause and watch this past Sunday. Here are a few you know, and a few you might not know.
REV 17-1 RAPTORS
To finish second in the 17/18 division of the opening tournament of the season is no small task. There are connection problems with the new setter, getting to know everyone’s defensive radius, learning new personalities. That being said, I have yet to find a team Elle Patterson Elle Patterson 6'0" | OH Tri-West | 2023 State IN (’23, 6-0 OH, Tri-West) has been on that hasn’t become immediately better with her presence. She can receive serve, attack from the front or back row, defends well, and blocks at a higher-than-average rate for her position. Ava Lohman Ava Lohman 5'9" | OH Hamilton Southeastern | 2023 State IN (’23, 5-9 OH, Hamilton Southeastern) is another pin attacker that requires more attention from college coaches. She’s explosive, jumps high, has a whip of an arm and is relentless in the gym. Miss Lohman should be turning heads more and more as the spring continues.
ACADEMY 17 ELITE TSUNAMI
Finishing third isn’t so bad either. There was some disconnect early on offensively with this roster, but not much to worry about moving forward. They just need reps in the gym to get used to each other. I’ve already taken the time to mention a few athletes from this roster in previous articles, so what about Avery Hobson Avery Hobson 6'1" | OH Hamilton Southeastern | 2023 State IN (’23, 5-10 OH, Hamilton Southeastern)? She hits a heavy ball, attacks at her max jump, and looked very comfortable on the left pin. Inching towards attacking at ten feet, I like her ability to terminate regularly.
CIRCLE CITY 17 PURPLE
We already know who Chloe Chicoine Chloe Chicoine 5'9" | OH McCutcheon | 2023 State #1 Nation IN and Quinci Thomas Quinci Thomas 6'3" | OH Brownsburg | 2023 State #138 Nation IN are. Both are committed (Penn State and Xavier, respectively), with Quinci having to play middle all day because they were down a starter for the tournament. Insert Ava Smith Ava Smith 6'1" | OH Park Tudor | 2023 State #121 Nation IN (’23, 6-1 OH, Park Tudor). This high-flying attacker is already above ten feet, and even had some attacks where the block was irrelevant. I personally think her nickname should be “Go Get It”, as the setter could set her anywhere and Miss Smith could go up and hit in any situation thrown at her.
CIRCLE CITY 16 PURPLE
The runners-up in the 15/16 division had their chances to take it all, but lost in a tough three in the final. Offensively, Ava Utterback Ava Utterback 5'10" | OH Plainfield | 2024 State #24 Nation IN (’24, 6-0 OH, Plainfield) was the glue that held everything together. Need a pass? Ava’s got you covered. How about an in-system terminal ball? Check. Out-of-system swing? She scored more often than not, and she’s already jumping at a level not seen in this age group in Indiana.
CIRCLE CITY 15 PURPLE
Might as well cover all of the Circle teams I saw in one article. Logan Bell Logan Bell 5'11" | OH Roncalli | 2025 State #24 Nation IN (’25, 5-11 OH, Roncalli) caught my eye on this squad, but not for what you think. In order to progress and grow in this tough game of ours, you have to have the worst short-term memory ever. There were times when Logan made an attack error, and was served immediately after. What did she do? Nail a pass. That’s a behavior you just don’t see from a senior, let alone a freshman. She doesn’t bleed points, and she makes more positives happen than negatives. Sounds highly recruitable to me.
BOILER JUNIORS 15 ELITE GOLD
What a fiery bunch this is! Probably my favorite team from this past weekend, and mostly from a standpoint of relentlessness, positivity and fight. They even stared down Circle’s 16-1 for a while in the final pool play match. This squad was buoyed by a pair of pin attackers—and both have their own qualities that are hard to teach. Taylor Cripe Taylor Cripe 5'10" | OH South Newton | 2025 State IN (’25, 5-9 OH, South Newton) has a hammer for an arm, and showed it off from all angles. She can tool with the best, hits a heavy ball, and is tough as nails to boot. Her opposite, Raegan Durbin Raegan Durbin 5'10" | OH Western Boone | 2025 State #89 Nation IN (’25, 5-10 OH, Western Boone) does everything well. She’s a primary passer, defends well in the middle back, can attack from anywhere, as has smart shots when things aren’t perfect. Did I mention she’s tough behind the service line, too? These two will be key in this squad moving forward with success. If this past Sunday is any indication, the sky’s the limit with this roster.