Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers
It was a jammed-packed weekend at the Central Zone Invitational in Indianapolis, with Sunday’s conclusion delivering its share of entertaining performances and efforts. We were there taking notice and it led to the list below, or what we call our Day 2 Show Stoppers. Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 16 Gold – Vander Wal – a 5-star recruit – was back at it on Day 2. If there was a thought that her dominating Day 1 came against lower-seeded competition, she was an equal force against other top teams in the field. At 6-3, she’s had the length but the power she has added this season is remarkable! Hannah Kenny S 1st Alliance 16 Gold – A 3-star recruit, Kenny is feisty and full of fight! She’s a terrific player who dishes well. She’s can also be deceptive at times. Keira Lucas OH Circle City 16 Purple – Lucas – a 3-star recruit – had a solid performance Sunday, helping Circle City to the silver medal in 16 Open. She was a reliable scoring option, showing her smarts in not trying to do too much and finding different ways to score. Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 16 Purple – The 6-3 Dunkle is active at the net. A 3-star recruit, she’s also very energetic with a knack for scoring. Ava Hunter S Circle City 16 Purple – Hunter is a 3-star recruit who joined Circle City this year and is fitting right in. She’s a smooth deliverer and her location is rarely off. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno – Craggs is a solid setter who connects well with her hitters. A 3-star recruit, she has added pieces to work with this season and she does well keeping everyone involved when the team is passing well. Billie Reiter S MKE Sting 16 Gold – Reiter – a 3-star recruit – sets effortlessly. She puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold – Durst – a 3-star recruit – was tough to put a ball down on. She was making plays in extending rallies and keeping her team in the point. Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 16 Gold – The big strength of Sting comes with the outside duo, which includes the 3-star recruit and 6-0 Koceja. She can find the open space or tool blocks consistently and always gives Sting someone to go to in the front row. Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 16 Gold – Quest – a 4-star outside – is simply impressive. At 6-3, she’s long and can really extend. It allows her to hit at sharper angles and really pressure the defense with her pace as well. Ally Hughes S Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 3-star recruit, Hughes did a great job running the offense and putting her hitters in favorable positions. She showed a soft release and sound placement as well. Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.51 – It was a strong Day 2 for Hoying, a 3-star recruit. She displayed her all-around game, scoring in the front and playing defense in the back. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51 – With Snowbarger, a 3-star recruit, filling out the leftside duo, Mintonette is never hurting for a front row attacker who can deliver on a consistent basis. She can let it fly and put away big kills. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.51 – Schoonover – a 5-11 middle – could have had her own highlight reel from Sunday. She was coming through time and time again with loud kills! Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51 – Cugino is a gritty libero who owns the back row. She’s a sound passer and doesn’t miss her mark often. Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m. 51 – Matheny – a 3-star recruit is another reason Mintonette prevailed in 15 Open. She’s a smooth dishing setter who does well mixing it up and adjusting to what the defense is doing. Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – A 4-star recruit, Foster is a true six-rotation outside with strong ball control skills. She sees the court well and has a variety of shots to throw at defenses. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Ward – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – is an impactful player on the right side. She’s long and gets in the way of opposing attackers. She’s also a real offensive threat and capable of bouncing balls straight down when the block is late. Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Hepler is a 4-star recruit and as steady and as consistent as they come in the back. She’s scrappy and she covers well for touches and tips. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Shondell – a 4-star recruit – has firm command of the offense. Boiler Jrs has options in every rotation and Shondell knows how to take advantage of them. Ella Grimes L/DS Elevation 15 Tony – We wrote about Grimes – a 3-star recruit – on Day 1 and she continued to standout in a big way on Day 2. Her jump serve is a weapon and helps her team go on scoring runs. She’s a wall in the back row as well. Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 15 Tony – Sprada – a 3-star recruit – has taken big strides from last year. She’s added a few inches both to her frame and jump and she was a force all weekend long. She gets up and bangs and she’s reason why Elevation is a medal contender this summer. Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 15 Tony – A strength of Elevation comes in the middle. One half is Geselbracht, a 3-star recruit who is really fun to watch running the slide. She has a whippy arm and can let it go when it’s there. Grace Herzog MB Elevation 15 Tony – Herzog is the other half of the Elevation middle
