Live Eye, New Names To Know From MEQ
With as much volleyball as I’m able to watch, I love to find the new players, the ones that maybe others don’t know about. These athletes might be the stars on their team or just play their role extremely well. …
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Continue ReadingWith as much volleyball as I’m able to watch, I love to find the new players, the ones that maybe others don’t know about. These athletes might be the stars on their team or just play their role extremely well. There are also different parts of the country I just haven’t had the chance to see play. The Carolinas did not disappoint with plenty of athletes who were elite among some of the top players in the field. Here are new names that I was able to pick up from MEQ this past weekend from the 16 and 17 Open Divisions.
Brynn Covell – NC Academy 17 Diamond
Class of 2023 – Committed to Texas A&M
Watching Covell, it didn’t take long for me to say, “Ok, who is this?” Covell does some really special things on the court as a setter. She’s long, athletic, and she just makes plays happen. Uber smooth and well trained, Covell has an x-factor about her game where she can make something happen out of nothing – she’s a winner. This team is really fun to watch and was in gold power pools on Sunday where they were knocked out by Circle City. Minnesota libero commit, Laney Choboy is also on this squad where her intensity is tough to match. This is definitely a squad to watch the rest of April and will be a tough match up come national tournament time.
Kaia Caffee for @MNSelect – 2024 middle blocker. Scary potential! Select and TAV trading big swings like this back and forth. Some of the top 2023 and 2024s in the country. #meq pic.twitter.com/LTx6e7uDKL
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) March 26, 2022
Kaia Caffee – MN Select 17-1
Class of 2024
Stock Riser! I did not know much about Caffey heading into the weekend. I had seen a highlight video that was impressive and showed her athleticism, but I was blown away seeing her live. Her strength, physicality, and athleticism at the net is special, especially for someone in the Class of 2024. She can move really well laterally and transition into being available to attack in transition. The connection she has with another 2024 prospect in setter, Stella Swenson is money. She will be fun to watch improve over the next few months where her ceiling is incredibly high.
Aliana Olson – KC Power 17-1
Class of 2023
The junior middle blocker has a great connection with Ella Swindle and always hits the ball square. She’s not tipping, she’s hitting the ball square with really solid hand contact. KC Power was in power pools on day three before a really tight loss to Legacy. Olson is an offensive and defensive presence for this squad where she can really do some fun things off a one foot approach.
Reagan Barth – MAVS KC 17-1
Class of 2023
Barth has to be high on the radar of everyone in the MIAA (one of the top D2 conferences in the country comprised of plenty of Kansas and Missouri teams), but she has to be on the radar of D1 schools as well with her ability to score points, defend, and serve receive. She is the total package. Her MAVS team already has a bid to 17 Open, but they consistently beat teams with their ball control and tempo. A really fun athlete to watch who will be a huge get for a team at the next level.
First time watching @CHAVClub 17s out of Chapel Hill. What an exciting team. Right side Jordyn Dailey is so explosive and Libero Taylor McNear is so scrappy, nothing hits the floor.
Lot of talent from the Carolinas this weekend #meq pic.twitter.com/ua2bFJzWVf
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) March 25, 2022
Jordyn Dailey – CHAVC 17 Black
Class of 2023 – Committed to Kentucky
So explosive! Dailey is committed to Kentucky and to see her and Brooke Bultema, another Kentucky commit from Elevation in Ohio, was a real treat this weekend. Dailey is automatic off one foot. She can play out of the middle or right side, but she is a matchup nightmare where she can score anywhere long the front line with such a quick twitch arm swing. She is just fun to watch on the court as she gets excited for her teammates and is always one to hype them up.
Taylor McNear – CHAVC 17 Black
Class of 2023
Definitely a 2023 libero who needs to be on a short list for college coaches. Another elite athlete who can make the difficult plays look routine, she has a great court presence and I saw a stretch where she just consistently made difficult plays that kept her side of the net in system. I had never seen this club play out of Chapel Hill, but they are definitely on my radar now after having a big weekend.
Photos are up on the Prep Dig National Facebook Page of 16-18 Open at #meq @NikeMEQ https://t.co/SoFnACZyUn pic.twitter.com/McYBnIZu9q
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) March 29, 2022
Ashlynn Belamy – MAVS 816 17-1
Class of 2023
MAVS 816 17-1 has picked up some really big wins this season and has been a sneaky team so far this season. They have a win over KIVA and took A5 to the wire at Triple Crown and made it to Day 2 gold pools this past weekend. A key player for them is Ashlynn Belamy, a six rotation outside hitter who can score points from the left side and is an outlet for them in the backrow. Don’t sleep on this team or on Belamy because they find a way to get it done.
Kate Peterson – PVA 17 Elite
Class of 2023
I really like this PVA team who had a huge day one going 3-0 with wins over Austin Skyline, EC Power, and NC Academy. Those are huge wins for this team out of the Kansas City area. Peterson is the setter for this team where she definitely holds her own with some of the top setters in this field. She is long where she can get her hands high to the ball and run a variety of tempos, but is also a presence at the net offensively and defensively.
Claire van den Herik – 1st Alliance 16 Gold
Class of 2024
I’ve seen 1st Alliance 16 Gold play at Triple Crown, MEQ, and quite a few times as 15s, but a new player for me this weekend was Claire van den Herik. 1st Alliance has the big time pin players in Grace Nelson and Ellie White, but van den Herik was one who had some big moments over the course of the weekend. She’s a 6’0 outside who is long and athletic with some good pop to her swing. She is definitely on the radar of Illinois outside hitters from the Class of 2024 to keep an eye on.
Orian Drore – Tribe 16 Elite Sebastian
Class of 2024
I should probably make my way to Tribe for a practice where they are in South Florida, North of Fort Lauderdale where it’s 83 degrees today. They also have a lot of talented athletes and one that caught my eye with how she could pursue the ball and keep her side in system was libero, Orian Dore. She’s a playmaker, but also really under control in chaotic situations. Watching her play, she seemed to glide on the court where she moved so easily to make good things happen.
Makenzie Wagner – Union 16-1 UA
Class of 2024
What impressed me most about Wagner was that she was always aggressive and went for a big swing. The 2024 lefty was able to score points and put a lot of pressure on the other side of the net with a heavy top spin swing that was causing a lot of problems. This Union squad is soooooo scrappy. They picked up huge wins over Rockwood, REV, and Circle City in which the other teams were the higher seed.
Kalei Edson has been doing this ALL DAY for @HPSTLVBC 16s. Setter/Right side combo. Uber athletic! #meq pic.twitter.com/zHBN0VG9vG
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) March 26, 2022
Kalei Edson – HPSTL 16 Royal
Class of 2024
This setter/right side combo was electric all weekend. Edson swings on the right side in the front row and sets when she goes to the backrow. This is a really tough match up for the other side of the net. Edson really attacks the line and can tool the blockers or can go sharp cross to hit the split. She’s tough, she’s fearless, shes’s someone you want on your side of the net with her diverse skill set and just a tough athlete.