Austin’s #PDTheFinale All-Tournament Team

<p>What a way to round out the 2022 Prep Dig Circuit.</p> <p>I've been lucky enough to hop around the Circuit throughout the 2022 club season, and I'm most thankful for being able to branch out and discover new talent. That's at the very core of what we hope to do here, as well as provide a fun venue for dozens of teams to compete and grow.</p> <p>Time to kick off the post-event coverage for the Finale in Pontiac. As we've done with other Circuit outings, we're starting with an all-tournament team.</p> <p>It was incredibly difficult to split hairs and make limited selections for this feature. I had an objective to include as much age group variety as I could, and I'm happy with how that panned out with this list. Just know that we'll be discussing several other athletes in subsequent features, so be on the lookout for those.</p> <p>Now, here are my picks for the Prep Dig Finale all-tournament team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>OH: [player_tooltip player_id="141687" first="Kamryn" last="Hunt"], Premier 18 Onitsuka</strong></p> <p><strong>OH: Kadence Brumitt, Krush VBC 16 National</strong></p> <p><strong>OH: Madelyn Tarrance, TeamD 17-Red</strong></p> <p><strong>OH: Ellie Zoeckler, AVC CLE Rox 15 White</strong></p> <p><strong>OH: [player_tooltip player_id="169125" first="Katie" last="Sowko"], ROCKC 16-1</strong></p> <p>I really tried to hit the "variety lottery" here, both in age groups and playstyles.</p> <p>If you're looking for the outside hitter who exhibited the most frontcourt dominance this weekend, Hunt is a good choice. She has such a fluid approach that allows her to drive her full momentum into every swing. Hunt just scored at will. The same can be said of Krush's Brumitt, whose whippy arm produced plenty of clutch kills in Pontiac.</p> <p>Tarrance is the high-flyer of the group. She springs way above the net tape and dazzled everyone with her raw athleticism. Better yet, Tarrance makes important contributions in serve receive, too. Speaking of ball control, Zoeckler is one of the few left sides I've seen this year who frequently steps in as a secondary setter for AVC when she's in the back row. It's a unique role for an outside hitter and complements Zoeckler's serious heat as a frontcourt attacker. We can't forget about Sowko, of course, whose court vision and quick arm swing helped put away many of ROCKC's tough balls. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The outside attack for <a href="https://x.com/TeamDVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamDVBC</a> 17-Red is rolling right now.<br /> <br /> Madelyn Tarrance skies for this one. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a> <a href="https://t.co/RoQ1p10pH7">pic.x.com/RoQ1p10pH7</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535262244828766208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RS: Chidimma Obi, AVC CLE Rox 16 Blue</strong></p> <p><strong>RS: [player_tooltip player_id="151973" first="Kameron" last="Stover"], A2 15 Green</strong></p> <p><strong>RS: Alyssa Carson, Krush VBC 15 National</strong></p> <p>Let's separate the outside hitters from the opposites--the way it ought to be.</p> <p>Like the outsides, though, we have three opposites who bring some different styles and skills to the right pin. Obi is a hard-hitting opposite who's part of 16 Blue's 6-2 system. This right side's impact is felt every time she rotates into the frontcourt, as her ability to maneuver around the block and hit with range led to frequent success on the Circuit.</p> <p>Our other two opposites bring a big presence in all six rotations. Stover might actually be listed as a defensive specialist on some online rosters, but she was a go-to right-side hitter for 15 Green. Her lefty swing is a natural fit for the opposite position, and her effortless elevation makes it impossible to keep her out of the front row. Carson, meanwhile, is on the other side of the spectrum. She's the big, physical opposite who can dominate at the net for Krush. This 15 National athlete can easily hit a high contact point and will continue to find her stride in the years to come.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>MB: Niyah Lester, ROCKC 16-1</strong></p> <p><strong>MB: Amyah Cooper, Premier 18 Onitsuka</strong></p> <p><strong>MB: Reilyn Yohn, TeamD 16-Red</strong></p> <p>Standout middles just know how to seize control of a match.</p> <p>These three have the traits needed to fill that role for their respective teams. Lester's straight-down blocks and floor-denting kills were a joy to watch this weekend, and those plays provided a constant spark for the talented ROCKC 16-1 lineup. Over on the 17s/18s side, Cooper displayed some wicked power on the middle quick that scored with great efficiency. Few in the gym were playing at her height. Completing this trio is Yohn, who had a huge say in getting TeamD into 16s Gold Sunday bracket play. Whenever 16-Red got good first touches, the ball was going to Yohn.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reilyn Yohn is making a big early impact in the middle for <a href="https://x.com/TeamDVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamDVBC</a> 16-Red.<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a> <a href="https://t.co/AG8wUwmcqh">pic.x.com/AG8wUwmcqh</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535249580152979456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>S: [player_tooltip player_id="195855" first="Jillian" last="Given"], A2 15 Green</strong></p> <p><strong>S: Lindy Kerchenski, ROCKC 16-1</strong></p> <p><strong>S: Carlee Thompson, A2 16 Green</strong></p> <p>Every good offense needs a steady signal-caller, and we've got three good ones here. Given stood out once again after she had a breakout performance in our Cleveland Circuit event earlier this season. She is joined by fellow A2 setter Thompson, who showed her propensity to make bold sets and push tempo whenever she could. Not to be outdone, ROCKC 16-1's Kerchenski became known for her knack for setting against the grain and was a big catalyst for [program_tooltip program_id='431573' first='RockCity' last='']'s undefeated run in the 16s division.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A lot of positive momentum from <a href="https://x.com/A2_Volleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@A2_Volleyball</a> 16 Green this morning.<br /> <br /> Carlee Thompson running a smooth offense from the setter spot. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Nn31iHeN3">pic.x.com/1Nn31iHeN3</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535267309098524673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>L: [player_tooltip player_id="169526" first="Mckenna" last="Wiseman"], A2 17 Green</strong></p> <p><strong>L: Aliza Munro, Krush VBC 16 National</strong></p> <p>Finally, we've reached those who quietly go about their business on the end line. It's no surprise that we could have put a variety of different liberos in these spots, but Wiseman and Munro get the nod for this feature. Of course, keep an eye out for future articles as we look to spotlight even more standout players at all these positions.</p>