Top "Live Eye" Pin Attackers From The Class of 2022

What does “Live Eye” mean? I have to see the athletes play in person. I value being in the gym, talking to club, college, and high school coaches. I hear about different players all the time, I see highlight videos, and I notice the accolades that athletes are receiving. With all of our social media accounts and how we follow clubs across the country, it is definitely noted the athletes who are making a big impact. However, in order to be involved and have a say there is a "live eye" element to seeing these top athletes in the gym. And this goes across all of the tournaments I’ve been at in the 2020 club season. I try and get on as many courts as possible and take plenty of notes. Bare with me, there are plenty of players who are worthy of being on this list, I just haven’t seen them yet. And I’m remaining optimistic that I will see plenty more this club season. Here are the top "live eye" pin attackers I have seen so far in the 2020 club season. [player_tooltip player_id="22407" first="Mckenna" last="Wucherer"] - Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold Committed To Minnesota Wucherer has been the “Gold” standard in this class since she was an 8th grader when she committed to play at the University of Minnesota. 6’2, long, and now getting much stronger and physical she was dominant playing a year up last year earning All American honors as well as the top player at the HP Championships. She is now playing two age groups up on Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold and scoring points against athletes who will be on the top college courts in the country. She keeps improving her all-around game and becoming more than a point scorer, and a defender in the backcourt and at the net. Besides talent, she has the relentless motor to improve and reach the next level of her game where there is no ceiling. [player_tooltip player_id="17322" first="Hayden" last="Kubik"] - Club Ignit 16 Blue (IA) Uncommitted The recruiting process has been a wild one for [player_tooltip player_id="17322" first="Hayden" last="Kubik"]. With the rule changes coming her 15s, Kubik did not commit before communication was limited to June 15 after her Sophomore year. Another year of club and plenty of coaches on her court, Kubik is handling the pressure and target of being one of the best with such poise and maturity. She can take over a match with a booming swing, but has been able to mix in a whole bag of tricks to score. Yes, she is the younger sister of Nebraska Husker, [player_tooltip player_id="16964" first="Madi" last="Kubik"], but I really see a game comparable to a Molly Haggerty of Wisconsin with her physicality, violent arm swing, and just a grittiness to her game where she can lead with whatever her team needs at the time. Jordan Middleton - Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Uncommitted She looks the part. She’s long, athletic, and watching her jump is an artform in itself. I covered the Arizona Storm 16 Thunder vs. Munciana 16 Ninjas match at Triple Crown which was an absolute heavyweight battle in the boxing sense where two teams with booming arms were just battling. Middleton had every major program on the West Coast on her court (including Hawaii) where she will definitely be one the PAC-12 would love to have (as would the Big Ten as well). I interviewed her after the game and she was so mature, crediting her teammates, handling herself with such poise. She’s got a big game and a very special ability, but has the intangible of being a top team player as well. [player_tooltip player_id="85813" first="Eva" last="Hudson"] - Munciana 16 Ninjas (IN) Uncommitted Hudson is a nightmare for the other side of the net. She connects so well with a quick tempo set, and she is everywhere. Yes, she can blast on the big looping set from the outside, but she’ll come out of the middle, she can score from the right side out of serve receive, and if she’s anywhere in the backrow she can put a hurt on the ball. Like many of these solid attackers, she finds a way to score in multiple ways. She’s dynamic and just one of those who has a natural knack for getting the ball to hit the floor on the other side of the net. [caption id="attachment_86286" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Hurta #24[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="61622" first="Katie" last="Hurta"] - 1st Alliance 16 Silver Committed to Indiana Hurta is a setter and attacker with three rotations each. She will head to Indiana as a setter, but it is so fun to watch her on the pin. She can hit from the left side or right side and it’s almost like a beach style to her game where she will roll it to the right spot or just tool it off the block (she can definitely just swing away and score too). Her IQ is well beyond what you typically see out of 16s with her sense for the game and what she can contribute to her team in a positive way. She heads to Indiana in a couple years with another Illinois pin in [player_tooltip player_id="61624" first="Ella" last="Holmstrom"] of VC United. [player_tooltip player_id="57241" first="Brianna" last="Cantrell"] - FC Elite 18 Elite Uncommitted The stock for Cantrell continues to rise. There is always a major growth in the game from the 15s to 16s level, where after the summer and high school season that Cantrell had she is now up on the FC Elite 18 Elite squad who is at the 18 Open level. She was her conference player of the year, 1st Team All-State for Wisconsin’s biggest class, and in this short time during the club season has really developed her all-around game. Her ability to attack and score out of the backrow is something not every outside player has in their toolbox as well as her ability to score points from the service line. [player_tooltip player_id="31577" first="Julia" last="Hanson"] - Northern Lights 16-1 Committed to Minnesota Hanson will be joining Wucherer as well as top middle blocker Carter Booth from Colorado Juniors as what is shaping into being quite the Class of 2022 recruiting class for the Gophers. Hanson was a high flying pin last year as a 15, but this season she’s taller, stronger, and adding more physicality to her game where she will be able to score points at the next level. With continued top training at Northern Lights she will be one of Minnesota’s best as well as one of the tops in the region. [player_tooltip player_id="17323" first="Macy" last="Daufeldt"] - Iowa Rockets 16R Committed to Drake Daufeldt might be one who I would pick to win Ninja Warrior. She can run, jump, and is so strong - such an athlete, but elite skill and physicality just doesn’t happen, she’s worked for it. Daufeldt was a state long jump champion as a Freshman and her leaping ability is apparent in her all-around game. She is solid in all six rotations and is a key piece to such a fun offensive style of Iowa Rockets 16R. Fast-paced and just lethal when they can get in system. With Daufeldt on the court, there is always an available swing. She will stay in state and play for Drake University in Des Moines who has picked up some big time in-state recruits.