Triple Crown NIT Recap – Dishing Dimes
The Triple Crown National Invitation Tournament was held at the Kansas City Convention Center. There were hundreds of talented teams from across the country competing in this awesome tournament and over 500 college coaches were in attendance. Texas was well…
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Continue ReadingThe Triple Crown National Invitation Tournament was held at the Kansas City Convention Center. There were hundreds of talented teams from across the country competing in this awesome tournament and over 500 college coaches were in attendance. Texas was well represented with 69 teams in the 15’s -18’s divisions. Over the course of the three days we were able to witness some amazing play from our wonderful Texas players.
My favorite position to watch when I am in the gym are the setters. They are so important to the flow of the game and they bring so much fluidity to it as well. They are the glue that hold the team together as they dictate the offensive flow by determining which hitters get the ball and when. From what I saw over the course of the weekend, these young ladies were good extensions of their coaches on the court. Each of these gifted setters deserve kudos as I could not get enough of watching them do their thing on the court. Each was added for a very different reason on this article but they all are deserving of every word and then some. Keep their names on your short list of players to watch for the rest of the season.
Madisyn Jones Madisyn Jones 5'9" | S Fredericksburg | 2023 State TX [2023] 5-8 Setter (HS: Boerne/Club: San Antonio Magic/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Madisyn is currently ranked as the 29th best prospect in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She is currently listed as the 5th best setter in the state and what I saw this past weekend was one of the smoothest performances I have seen in a while. She plays for Boerne HS and also San Antonio Magic. I gave her name to a handful of coaches who were looking for a diamond in the rough. They all texted me that she was a no-brainer recruit and thanked me for introducing her to them. She will definitely be getting a lot of love if she hasn’t been already. It did not matter whether the ball was in-system or not as Miss Jones was dropping some shiny dimes to her amazing hitters. She was jump-setting all over the place and it was a brilliant performance for all to see. If you want a natural born leader and a silky smooth operator to command your troops, check this kid out and you will not be disappointed.
Miller McDonald Miller McDonald 5'8" | S Lake Highlands | 2023 State #156 Nation TX [2023] 5-8 Setter (HS: Lake Highlands/Club: Madfrog /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Miller is currently ranked as the 10th overall prospect and the 2nd ranked setter in the 2023 class according to our State Rankings. Miss McDonald is a star for Lake Highlands and the famed Madfrog program. She was on championship court playing against one of the best 16’s teams in the country in A5 from Atlanta and Miller was not backing down at all. If you want someone that is going to outwork everyone on your team, you should have Miller on your short list. She is every bit as advertised when you see her play in person. I love the fact that her set location is pinpoint accurate at every location across the net. She is extremely consistent and moves the ball around so well to every hitter. I have written about Miller many times but was really impressed with her showing in Kansas City.
McKinley Chase McKinley Chase 5'5" | S Paschal | 2024 State TX [2024] 5-4 Setter (HS: Paschal/Club: Texas Pistols/Verbal: Uncommitted)
McKinley is currently ranked as the 86th best prospect overall in the 2024 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. MK plays for Paschal High School and also club for Texas Pistols. Her technique truly impressed me how she sets up for every ball the same. This tells me that she works at her craft for many hours outside of normal club practice. You can only get that consistency by putting in the work.. You can only have that muscle memory by getting rep after rep after rep. Miss Chase is on this list because of her work ethic and proving that it doesn’t matter how big you are…just how big your heart is. But don’t sleep on her size as this kid is a monster on the court and will continue to prove herself as a top setter in the age group. I will continue to watch her progress in the position.
Carson Eickenloff Carson Eickenloff 5'7" | S Boyd | 2024 State #146 Nation TX [2024] 5-6 Setter (HS: Boyd/Club: Madfrog /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Carson is currently listed as the 109th best overall prospect in the 2024 class, but that will change once we update the rankings, as I loved what I saw from her over the weekend. Miss Eickenloff plays for McKinney Boyd High School and Madfrog . Carson is one of the most athletic setters in the entire state despite age group/grad class. Her jump serve is lethal and so much power comes from this small package. The amount of body control that she shows in every aspect of the game is phenomenal. I loved watching her glide all over the court and especially when she plays defense. The angles of her platform are helped by the way she drops her shoulders in picture perfect form. If there was combine that recorded vertical, cone drills, foot speed, change of direction, and acceleration stats, I guarantee she would stand out on paper with her numbers. She will for sure be added into our prestigious rankings. Just wait to see where she lands.
Harper Hall [2024] 5-8 Setter (HS: Highland Park/Club: Dallas Skyline/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Harper is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, but from what I saw this past weekend she really played her way in. She plays high school volleyball at Highland Park and also club for Dallas Skyline. She runs a six-two with her State Ranked counterpart Carter Fouche Carter Fouche 5'8" | S Reedy | 2024 State TX and they both deliver like stars. What I loved when I watched Miss Hall play is how confident she is in her abilities. She exudes confidence and it rubs off on her teammates. They play well because they know that she will not back down from a challenge. I will for sure keep my eye on Harper as she has what it takes to not only be on the rankings but move up the list as she keeps progressing. Her athleticism was out of this world for a sophomore and she will only get better which is scary for her opponents. This kid has a lot of swagger when she plays and she should due to her awesome skill-set.
Taylor Cook
Taylor
Cook
5'11" | S
Prestonwood Christian Academy | 2025
State
#87
Nation
TX
[2025] 5-11 Setter (HS: Melissa/Club: Dallas Skyline/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Taylor is someone who I have watched twice this year as she attended our top 250 Expo in December. She was so stellar in her performance there that I moved her up to the 17’s and 18’s court and she held her own at a high level. She did the same thing this weekend against some of the best competition in the nation. If you don’t know her name now, just give it some time because she is one of the best setters in the nation in her grad class. We have not released the rankings yet, but when we do, she for sure will be ranked high. Taylor can do it all on the court with ease. I haven’t seen a player of her caliber in the position with this much potential in a while. She is like a surgeon with her setting precision. This young lady is a sniper on the court and hits the target over and over again. I am working on an individual article on her that should be released soon, but in the meantime I wanted to get her name out there due to her amazing play in Kansas City for three days. Her natural strength can be seen in her vertical, quick release of the ball, and her serve. She is just a flat out beast.
As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!