Lone Star Classic Qualifier – Recap – OK Charge 16 National
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The Lone Star Classic National Qualifier tournament held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas took place this past Easter weekend. There were over a thousand talented teams from across the country competing in this awesome tournament and…
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Continue ReadingThe Lone Star Classic National Qualifier tournament held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas took place this past Easter weekend. There were over a thousand talented teams from across the country competing in this awesome tournament and hundreds of college coaches were in attendance. This is widely regarded as the tournament with the toughest competition in the nation. It was a weekend full of cutthroat volleyball and I was super excited to have covered it for Oklahoma. This series of articles will be focused on Sooner teams that played, how they fared and some of the fantastic players who stood out to me.
OK Charge 16 National came into the tourney ranked as the second seed in pool six. They proved that they belonged as a top seed as they made quick work of the three other teams in their pool. They went undefeated on day one and didn’t drop a set as they went 6-0 in sets played and overtook the sixth overall seed in the tourney. Day two didn’t go as well as the first but OK Charge National showed that it wasn’t a fluke. The two matches that they lost were very tightly contested and could have easily gone either way. They ended up getting third and moving on to day three in the Silver Bracket. As far as early morning matches go, it was super close and they barely lost Cajun Elite out of Louisiana (22-25, 23-25). They ended up getting 21stplace out of 64 teams from across the country. I was able to watch them in action during their day two pool and they were super competitive. There were a few players that stood out while I was watching. Let’s meet a few of them.
Anna Degraffenreid Anna Degraffenreid 5'6" | S Oklahoma Christian | 2024 State OK [2024] 5-6 Setter (HS: Oklahoma Christian/Club: Oklahoma Charge/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Anna is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 class according to our Prep Dig Oklahoma State Rankings. She plays for Oklahoma Christian School and also club for Oklahoma Charge. The lefty setter played amazing all weekend for her squad and dazzled spectators that were in attendance. She was very noticeable in her different colored shoes, but what stood out even more is that this young lady can dish some dimes to her hitters. She plays with a lot of fire and talks to her teammates very well on the court. I was impressed with her soft hands and smooth release to all locations on the net. She had a very strong jump serve that stifled her opposing serve receivers on occasion. I really liked what I saw from her and think she has what it takes to make our watch list moving forward. Stay tuned for more on Anna.
Jaedyn Brown-Adams [2024] 5-9 Outside (HS: Chickasha/Club: Oklahoma Charge/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Jaedyn is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 class, but showcased a lot of talent this weekend at Lone Star. Miss Brown-Adams plays volleyball at Chickasha High School and also club for Oklahoma Charge. She has been on varsity for a couple of years now and that high level experience shows as she battled teams from across the nation this past weekend. Her power is immense and I witnessed it first-hand as she unleashed a few bombs while I was in attendance. She has solid hand contact and a very heavy arm swing. I was impressed with how well she utilizes her core to add more power to her attack. We will be watching her progress very closely over the next few years.
Taylor Vann [2024] 5-4 Libero (HS: Bishop McGuinness/Club: Oklahoma Charge/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Taylor is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays for Bishop McGuinness High School and also club volleyball at the Oklahoma Charge program. She is a very skilled libero who excels both on the digging end and in serve receive. While most liberos specialize in one, she is proficient in both skills. Her footwork was very balanced and quick as she tracked balls down in the back row. I loved how she was able to even add some back row offensive firepower to her squad during out of system plays. I was thoroughly impressed with her defensive range as she was able to touch balls well outside of her wingspan. She was an integral piece of the puzzle as her team stayed competitive all weekend long.
Ashleigh Graves Ashleigh Graves 5'11" | MB Southmoore | 2024 State OK [2024] 5-11 Middle (HS: Southmoore/Club: Oklahoma Charge/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Ashleigh is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, but has shown that she belong on our watch list with what we saw this past weekend. She plays for Southmoore High School and also club volleyball for the awesome Oklahoma Charge program. She is a talented middle who patrols the net so well for her squad. I loved how talented she was as a blocker. She had both great timing and a strong frame behind her to slow opposing blockers down. Her long arms prove that she can be a viable threat at the next level. But what I loved the most was her fire that she brought on the offensive end. She understands how to hit angles around blockers and score with tons of power. I will be watching Miss Graves very closely as I think she could help a college roster in a few years.
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 Oklahoma Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!