Top Underclassmen Middles from the NYC Tournament

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At a small tournament, like the New Year’s Classic in Wesley Chapel, FL, it is easy for younger teams to shine. In this bracket, of 15 and 16 Open, the top teams had some amazing players just at the beginning of their volleyball career. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first-place team in the 15/16 Open division was </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Venetian Bay 16-1 Marquise</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Two solid middles from this team include </span><b>Kennedy Garrett</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><b>Kaitlyn Maitret</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Kennedy is a 6’0” middle hitter that excels in the front row. As a Sophomore this year, she is still gaining the experience she needs to rule the gym, but she has already proven to be a competitive blocker and attacker. Her timing is superb for her age and allows her to put up an impressive block against her opponents. Kennedy played in 24 sets on Out of Door Academy’s Varsity team in Fall 2020 and scored 11 kills and 17 blocks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From the 2nd place team, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Club Steel 15 Navy</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, one middle shined brighter than the others. </span><b>Emma LeTourneau</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a 5’10” freshman playing middle hitter and blocker on her club team this season. Emma was a starter for her Varsity team at Pasco High School and scored more than 70 kills during her 56 sets played with 41 total blocks. She has the talent and experience to carry her through the tough competition this club season. Her greatest talent is her ability to hit nearly any set in the front row. Even as an 8th grader, last year, she was running plays that most high schoolers struggle to execute. </span></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pinellas Heat 15 Elite</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> tied for 3rd place in this division and definitely brought the heat with their two solid middle hitters. </span><b>Natalie Aniol </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">is a 5’10” freshman and middle hitter. Although she is still developing as a true middle hitter and blocker, she is showing big potential. This past Varsity season, at East Lake High School, she was able to put away 18 kills and 7 blocks during 28 total sets. </span><b>Ryleigh Clark</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is another outstanding attacker that has experience playing both in the right side and middle hitting positions. This 5’10” freshman managed to complete 8 kills during her 15 sets playing on the Varsity team at Largo High School. </span></p>