The best from each class – District 3A Metro

<p>The start of the high school volleyball season in Washington is closer than ever and at this point, you should already be very familiar with the best teams and the most impressive players from each district as we analyzed them in detail for the last few months in our several different series.</p> <p>However, we know one of the reasons why many of you follow high school volleyball is to try and anticipate which prospects have what it takes to succeed at the collegiate level and beyond. So, in this series, we’ll share our best guesses and list the top student-athletes from each of the next three graduating classes in each State district.</p> <p>The 3A Metro District is one of the most competitive in the entire state with its 17 high schools and here are our picks:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Class of 2021</strong></p> <p><strong>Claire Donovan – Libero/Defensive Specialist – Eastside Catholic</strong></p> <p>Defensive players tend to be underappreciated in volleyball teams but don’t make the mistake of overlooking Claire Donovan’s game with Eastside Catholic. The 5’6” libero is a joy to watch because of her solid and high-energy game at the backcourt for the Crusaders. A very technical and hard-working defender, Donovan took charge of her team’s defensive duties in 2019, leading Eastside Catholic in both digs (348) and passes (393). The standout performance propelled her to earn an All-State team honorable mention and to be part of the All-League first team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Class of 2022</strong></p> <p><strong>Eva Atkins – Middle-Blocker – Roosevelt</strong></p> <p>Not many middle-blockers get to produce for their teams at the same rate Eva Atkins does for Roosevelt. The 6’3” prospect has been the centerpiece of the Roughriders for the last two seasons and she showed in 2019 she’s up for the task as she led the team to a fourth-place finish at the State Championship after winning all of their district matches. Nearly unstoppable at the net, Atkins was instrumental in that campaign with 210 kills and 97 blocks and those numbers took her to the All-State team as an honorable mention and to the All-League team as a first-team selection.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11723286/5d83ba8706618e1814217c7e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Class of 2023</strong></p> <p><strong>Rebecca DePencier Piñero – Outside Hitter – Lakeside</strong></p> <p>Rebecca DePencier Pinero’s combination of great technique and impressive explosiveness proved to be a great addition to Lakeside as the 5’10” outside hitter took the team to a seventh-place finish at the State Championship in her first year of high school volleyball. Pinero, who also refines her game in beach volleyball, has already developed very solid technical gestures and she also has a very high volleyball IQ, proving her with the package to be a fantastic all-around player. Her strong start with the Lady Lions didn’t go unnoticed as she was picked for the All-League first team.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12295597/5e7b8c5e90f9b106e80433a6" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>