Star 16s Hitters From PVL Tourney 2 (Part 1)
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The Premier Volleyball League continued on out of the CLAVA facility in Lake Forest over the weekend. The two-day tournament was the second of the season for the 18s and 16s, which features 12 of the top teams in So Cal in each division. It was an incredible weekend for SCVC 16 Roxy, which went 7-0 and won the 16s division with victories that included beating Coast 16-1 in pool play and Wave 16 Brennan in Sunday’s playoff final. Below, we list 10 of the top attackers we saw from the 16s divisions and tried to focus on players who weren’t already mentioned from the first tourney from two weeks ago.
Haylee LaFontaine Haylee LaFontaine 6'0" | OH Huntington Beach | 2024 State #174 Nation CA , OH, Seal Beach 16 Black – There’s a lot LaFontaine brings to the lineup for Seal Beach. She plays outstanding back row defense where she made plenty of great ups to keep rallies alive. She’s also the team’s go-to hitter when she’s in the front row and for good reason. She knows how to score in a variety of ways.
Danica Rach, OH, City 16 Gold – Rach is a six-rotation outside who the team relies on plenty, from her passing in serve receive to her ability to score. She carries a whippy arm swing capable of generating plenty of power, especially when she’s able to really get ahold of one.
Chloe Nussbaum Chloe Nussbaum 5'9" | DS/L La Canada | 2024 State CA , OH, SG Elite 16 Elite – San Gabriel was able to get its 2s team into the top division and Nussbaum is a big part of that. She’s a strong, physical hitter who SG looks for plenty.
Fallyn Blotzer, OH, Forza1 North 16 UA – Forza North was making its debut in the top premier division of the PVL and Blotzer showed why Forza North was able to move up after the first tourney of the year. She has a lanky frame and is capable of having a high contact point on her swings. Forza looks for her whether she’s front or back row as she’s a big part of the offense.
Nikole Egan Nikole Egan 5'9" | OH Cathedral Catholic | 2024 State #197 Nation CA , OH, Wave 16 Brennan – Do not underestimate Egan and her attacking ability. She’s a bit undersized compared to other outsides in the division but she more than makes up for it with her jumping ability. She can get off the ground well and takes strong, aggressive swings and hits with pace. She also has a good jump serve that can cause teams trouble from the service line.
Sofia Williams Sofia Williams 5'9" | OH San Clemente | 2024 State CA , OH, Wave 16 Brennan – Williams fits right in with the scrappiness of Wave and is a lot like Egan. She jumps well, makes strong contact with the ball and can send it over the net with pace. She also adds to the team’s strong ball control skills and can score hitting from both pins.
Madison Triplett, OH, Coast 16-1 – With some of the pieces in the Coast lineup taking up the defense’s attention it would be a mistake to overlook what Triplett brings to the lineup. She’s a very capable six-rotation outside who is a solid and consistent passer in serve receive with a knack for knowing how to score when she gets in the front row.
Cymarah Gordon, RS, Momentous 16 Dan – It was an outstanding weekend for Gordon on the right side. She gives Momentous a physical presence across the front row and when the pass is there Momentous will definitely look to get her the ball as much as possible. She has nice size and can get off the ground well, so she’s able to hit the ball down hard when everything clicks. She’s also the team’s best blocker and puts up a big wall of a block on the right side.
Kate Duffey, RS, City 16 Gold – Duffey is actually listed as a setter on the team’s website but can play a dual role for City. On Sunday, she was used as a six-rotation right side and provides yet another option for City whether she’s front or back row as she’s a smart attacker.
Deanna Dollar, OH, SG Elite 16 Rosh – Dollar kind of sums up the SG attack. There’s not a lot of size SG can toss at opponents but their hitters are fearless and aren’t afraid to take aggressive swings like Dollar. She has sneaky power and also can hurt defenses with sharp-angle off speed shots cross court.