Cold Blooded – 5 Players Who Perform In The Clutch
There are plenty of “5 o’clock hitters” where they might look great in batting practice, but maybe not so much in the game. Same goes for volleyball where hitting lines can be deceptive – a perfect pass, a setter who…
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Continue ReadingThere are plenty of “5 o’clock hitters” where they might look great in batting practice, but maybe not so much in the game. Same goes for volleyball where hitting lines can be deceptive – a perfect pass, a setter who doesn’t have to move, and no blockers at the net make it easy to blast away. But what about the athletes who really deliver in the clutch? When things get tough they just seem to turn it up a notch. Here are a few who can really come up big this year as they have in the past and are just cold blooded.
Kaley Blake – Burlington – Setter
Committed to UW-Milwaukee
Kaley Blake is a Senior. She may have been playing at Burlington for what seems like the past seven years, but she has made it to her Senior year. Blake has played nine matches in her career at the state tournament, finishing runner up her Freshman year and then winning a state title her Sophomore and Junior season. Cool, calm, and collected – Blake just finds a way to get it done for the Demons. Her ability to read the other side of the net, getting her hitters in the best position to score points is one of many things that set her apart from others. Burlington was suppose to have a down year in 2018 which resulted in a state title. We’ll see what Blake and the crew can do in 2019, they are always dangerous come tournament time (understatement).
KJ McNabb – Sun Prairie – Outside Hitter
Committed to Loyola-Chicago
Her smile and energy is contagious, her intensity and passion is something that her teammates can feed off of. McNabb is a high flying outside for Capital Volleyball Academy and Sun Prairie who just score points from anywhere on the court. Sun Prairie was young in 2018 with a lot of question marks after some big time graduations. They were able to go in to Waunakee’s home gym for the sectional final and secure a sweep in making it back to the state tournament. McNabb is one of the top defenders in the state, owning the middle black and being able to score points from there as well. This season, SP will be returning a store core of athletes and will look to do some damage along the postseason route.
Tayler Alden – Oconomowoc
Tayler Alden of OconomowocCommitted to Northern Iowa
Alden and Blake probably couldn’t have more different setting styles. Alden wears her heart on her sleeve, will aggressively attack with a big left handed swing, and is not afraid to go for the big knockout punch with a big time attack when her team needs it. With her team down 0-2 in the state semifinals last year, Alden went on an absolute tear with a total of 33 assists and 15 kills. Alden has also found big success of the beach this past summer with the USA HP A1 Beach Program. Ocon will be back with a Senior dominated lineup, especially in the backcourt.
Sam Naber – Burlington
Committed to Marquette
As a Freshman in 2018, Naber took the state tournament by storm as a major game changer as a starting libero for the state championship team. The following spring she committed to play at Marquette after high school. She plays big in big moments, from taking away a dig to being able to be a serve reception on point, she knows how to get it done.
Rylee Vaughn – Lake Country Lutheran
Committed to Winona State
Another libero who can change the game. Vaughn may not have scored any points last year in the state title run for LCL, but she definitely took plenty away. From her serve receiving to being able to own the whole left side of the court there were multiple times where she would take pace off a hard driven ball to keep the Lightning in system. For a libero to consistently dig a hard driven ball, it causes the hitters to think twice about their shots. Instead of swinging away they might be tipping, causing even more chances for free ball opportunities. Vaughn will be back after being part of two state championship teams in her high school career.