16’s Prep Dig Battle In The Valley “PREP DIG” Awards

<div class="x_elementToProof"> <p dir="ltr">I had some fun this weekend looking for playing that I thought demonstrated more than just strong play.  I got creative and came up with the “PREP DIG” Awards.  These consist of players that represented the words: Physical, Respect, Problem Solving, Determination, Insistent, and Guaranteed. So, without further ado, here are your “PREP DIG” Award winners from the Prep Dig Battle In The Valley 16's Division!  </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Physical:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="122463" first="Malayna" last="Dins"] - 2024 - 5'8 - Outside Hitter - Winnebago Lutheran - Impact 16 National</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Dins was a total “WOW” factor with her explosive power.  She had all the factors for the Physical Award with quick agility, great coordination in her ball control, speed in her arm swing and footwork, balance, and strength. When Dins attacked, it was violent and so fast you couldn't blink or you would completely miss it.  This is one dynamic athlete.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Respect/Discipline:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Emma Lober - Middle Blocker - G-Force 16's Select </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Lober showed respect in the sense that she was disciplined and showed respect for her opponent. She had a nice high contact point and took a fast swing to work the angles. Most impressively, Lober keeps the ball in front of her and sees the court extremely well.  </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Engagement: </strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Alyssa Felser - 2025 - Right Side Hitter - [program_tooltip program_id='431537' first='Midwest' last='Penguins'] 15 Black</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Neu stuck out to me the moment I saw her hustling to shag a ball that had been hit out by the opposing team and was headed for the other side of the gym.  There was no pause to see if someone else would get it; she didn't need to be told, but she just went. She sets up a strong block and you can tell she works hard each play.  I love seeing players who are just happy to be learning and growing.  She has also improved a ton since I saw this team play last, so you know she's paying attention to instruction!</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Problem Solving/Acceptance:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Gracie Fregien - 2026 - Libero - [program_tooltip program_id='431537' first='Midwest' last='Penguins'] 14 Elite</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Fregien is super quick and gets under just about everything.  The one time I saw her get burned  was on the dirty middle tip to the 4 zone.  I kept watching because I knew the team that they were playing was smart enough to go back to it if they scored on it once.  Needless to say, Fregien did not let that play score again.  When watching her play, you could see the gears going in her head and you can hear her communicating with her teammates.  She didn't allow 1 point to define her, but instead embraced that growth mindset, accepted it as part of the process, and used it to improve.  This attribute will make her a truly elite player.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Determination:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="178241" first="Jena" last="Bunks"] - 2025 - 5'9 - Pin Hitter - Xavier - FC Elite 15 White  </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Bunks put up a big block and made smart choices at the net. More importantly, I thought she showed perseverance and positively dealt with the ups and downs.  She never seemed to let any one moment be too big, and she came in clutch.  </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Insistent:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="193968" first="Evelyn" last="Meyer"] - 2025 - Setter - Madison United 15 Red</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Meyer is this gritty little setter. She gets her hands on just about everything, and she knows how to take care of business.  You can tell she is competitive and shows an intense desire to win.  Her persistence will definitely take her places.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Guaranteed:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="193969" first="Ella" last="Boge"] - 2024 - Libero - La Crosse Logan - Xtreme 16 Adidas</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The first thing I noticed about Boge was her consistency and steady performance, but as I watched further, she took a much bigger interest in her team than simply doing her job.  Between sets, she helped out a player who was less experienced and needed some more coaching on the defensive side of things.  Boge could be seen explaining defensive responsibilities for attacks from different areas on the net.  She shows a deep commitment to her group and the growth of those around her.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sometimes you just need to talk strategy. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/futurecoach?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#futurecoach</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDBattleInTheValley?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDBattleInTheValley</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigChris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDigChris</a> <a href="https://x.com/prepdigrachel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@prepdigrachel</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepDig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDig</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigEvents?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDigEvents</a> <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigWI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDigWI</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jmlk9vDXzn">pic.x.com/Jmlk9vDXzn</a></p> — Breit Nelson (@BreitNelson) <a href="https://x.com/BreitNelson/status/1520849022537318407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p dir="ltr">***I also want to mention that I only get a snapshot of these players over the weekend.  I do try to see every team play at some point, but I feel like we get to know the teams and players better each tournament we see them.  So thank you for attending and we hope to see you again!</p> </div> <div> <div aria-hidden="true"> </div> </div>