Pin Hitters to Follow after #PDTheOpen

<p>Let's keep rolling with the positional features from #PDTheOpen.</p> <p>We kicked things off yesterday with some <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/05/monster-middles-steal-the-spotlight-at-pdtheopen/">middle blockers</a> who dominated at the net throughout the Cleveland event. Before that, we took a shot at putting together an <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/05/pdtheopen-all-tournament-team/">all-tournament team</a> based on all the incredible volleyball we got to see at the I-X Center. Now, it's time to move out to the pins.</p> <p>There will surely be a variety of high-impact pin hitters in this feature. Most of these attackers contributed in many more ways than just putting the ball down. They were vocal leaders, serve receive anchors, and relentless defenders. Let's talk about a little bit of everything here.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66309" first="Nina" last="Horning"] - 6'4 OH - Legacy 17-1 Adidas</strong></p> <p>This Cincinnati commit has been taking on more responsibilities with this 17-1 Adidas team, and that's a big reason for the team's 17 Open championship run in Cleveland. Horning's range on the left pin was nearly unmatched at this event, and her heavy arm ensures that backcourt defenders will have a tough time keeping balls off the floor.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="151968" first="Teagan" last="Ng"] - 5'11 OH - Mintonette m.51</strong></p> <p>Ng's pass-to-attack consistency is quickly becoming a major asset for Mintonette m.51. It's as if taking the first contact helps keep Ng in rhythm when she goes up to attack on the left pin. These well-rounded skills helped lift m.51 to a runner-up finish in 15 Open, and this group definitely has more highlight moments still to come.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141695" first="Lauren" last="Janosy"] - 6'0 OH/RS - AVC CLE Rox 17 Red</strong></p> <p>Janosy has the skills, length, and athleticism to thrive on either pin. We're getting used to seeing physical pin hitters become big-time standouts with AVC, and Janosy is another one of those must-see 2023s that stood out at The Open.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Kate Trzcinski - 5'9 OH - Maverick 16 Elite</strong></p> <p>The recurring theme when discussing Maverick 16 Elite has been "tempo, tempo, tempo," and Trzcinski really fits that mantra on the left side. She can get on top of the ball quickly and performs best when she gets that quick "go" set to the outside. Better yet, Trzcinski is a steady leader in middle-back defense and will do anything she can to get involved in the passing formation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Natalie Pedigo - 5'10 OH/RS - A2 16 Green</strong></p> <p>At the club level, it can sometimes be tough to find an opposite who regularly makes contributions in the back row. That's what 16 Green gets with Pedigo, though, as this right-side hitter is not afraid to lock things down in backcourt defense. In the front row, Pedigo frequently found a way to terminate on some tough swings, and that helped A2 prevail in clutch situations.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A2 16 Green has put on a nice hitting display this morning.<br /> <br /> Natalie Pedigo has been a big contributor on the right pin and in the back row. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/0fjb04PTdt">pic.x.com/0fjb04PTdt</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1520395864082161668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Chloe Smith - 5'10 OH - Eastside 15-1</strong></p> <p>Smith's presence in the front row is transformative. In other words, Eastside is a different team with this outside hitter in the match. She can hit down the line with some serious pace and was a persistent blocking force against some of the top attackers in the 15s division. Even as a "Nebraska outsider," I can already see the talent base growing in the northern Ohio area.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Two matches, two wins for Eastside 15-1! <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheOpen</a><br /> <br /> Chloe Smith has had an awesome morning on the left side for ECV. <a href="https://t.co/Gi14q30t2I">pic.x.com/Gi14q30t2I</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1520415668667097090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_194194" align="alignright" width="400"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/05/IMG_8928-crop-5287x3471-1651692062.jpg"><img class="wp-image-194194" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/05/IMG_8928-crop-5287x3471-1651692062-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="263" /></a> Quest attacks from the back row for 16 Gold.[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="178033" first="Madison" last="Quest"] - 6'3 OH - MKE Sting 16 Gold</strong></p> <p>16 Gold's division championship at The Open is another indication of the team's return to full strength, and a lot of that has to do with Quest's emergence on the outside. She really found her stride in Cleveland last weekend while also mixing in some impressive attacks out of the back row. With Quest leading the way as a top-tier 2025 pin hitter, this MKE Sting squad should be quite a force on the Nationals stage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185348" first="Ava" last="Carney"] - 6'2 OH - Pittsburgh Elite 17 Elite</strong></p> <p>Carney was undoubtedly one of the most physical left-side hitters we saw at The Open. The Wake Forest commit hits at a contact point that often has opposing defenses struggling to get a block touch. Carney's repertoire of crosscourt shots was on display from the very beginning of the weekend, and she certainly has the traits to succeed at the next level.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Already a ton of impressive swings like this from [player_tooltip player_id="185348" first="Ava" last="Carney"] for <a href="https://x.com/PghElite?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PghElite</a>!<br /> <br /> She's committed to <a href="https://x.com/WakeVolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WakeVolleyball</a>. <a href="https://t.co/knPbG4PK8V">pic.x.com/knPbG4PK8V</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1520378650528464896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>