Top 17s at the Rankings Tournament

<p style="text-align: center;">The Rankings Tournament is a tournament that is by invitation only, hosted by the Oklahoma Regional Volleyball Association. The top eight teams from each age division get split into two pools and go head to head with each other. This tournament helps sort out the regional rankings, making sure teams have common opponents. There will likely be multiple teams playing in this tournament that will earn bids to play in the Junior National Tournament. Seeing how most of these teams are the cream of the crop, they contain some of the top players in the state as well. We are taking a look at some 17s players. There were a ton of great players playing last weekend. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong style="font-size: 1rem;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-183936 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/03/IMG_4326-rotated-crop-2809x1844-1646419750-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />[player_tooltip player_id="143130" first="Emily" last="Boyer"]</span></strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;">, #4, Setter for Peak 17-1. Emily is an awesome player and a great person. I got to speak with her and [player_tooltip player_id="145979" first="Jenna" last="Houk"] between matches and they are excited for their upcoming senior year and taking the leap into college after that. She has committed to play for OBU. She is doing a good job of high pointing the ball and staying neutral to keep the blockers waiting. They both helped their team in a big way finish 2nd overall.</span></p> <p><strong><u>[player_tooltip player_id="145979" first="Jenna" last="Houk"]</u></strong>, OH #8 for Peak 17-1. Jenna recently committed to play at SWOSU. She is a great pick-up for an already solid program. She seems to have a solid grasp on her control of the ball and decision making. I saw her take really smart swings into the opposite deep corner when the ball was set off the net when she didn’t have an opportunity for the kill. She will need to be focused on by opposing schools next season as she will be an even bigger threat for Deer Creek. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/03/IMG_4331-crop-3226x2118-1646419863.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-183939 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/03/IMG_4331-crop-3226x2118-1646419863-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="144099" first="Katelyn" last="Branson"]</strong></span>, Libero for Rise 17-1. She was a six rotation player for her high school, powerhouse Edmond Santa Fe. She played libero this weekend and did a fabulous job. She is already a very quick and athletic player, add on that she may be one of the hardest-working players I’ve seen in person, she will be tracking a ton of balls down and keeping the other team from scoring. She has committed to play college ball at SNU. They are getting someone that just makes everyone around them better. Her effort, attitude, and toughness drive her teammates to be the best they can be. </p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="145964" first="Olivia" last="Vance"]</span></strong>, OH #1 for UPVBC 17 Open. She was already a game-changer for Bixby high school this past season but she has been taking lesson and pushing herself since school season ended and it is showing. Her confidence taking huge swings is off the charts. Her decision-making on when to hit certain shots has clearly gone way up. This helps her be extremely efficient and the go-to player in big movements. </p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="145960" first="Kady" last="Hansen"]</span></strong>, MB #5 for UPVBC 17 Open. She was unfortunately injured this past school season but I am glad to see her back to hammering the ball and doing what she loves. She <span style="font-size: 1rem;">has a huge ceiling and can be a big-time recruit. She also puts up a </span>stifling<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> block for hitters to have to work around. Vance and Hansen helped their team win the 17s </span>division<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> and only dropping one set in the entire </span>tournament<span style="font-size: 1rem;">. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We love seeing the progress of these teams and the athletes themselves. This club season is proving huge for the state of Oklahoma. Coaches have stepped up their game and it is helping these athletes progress in ways they haven’t before. </p>