Breaking Down Top Performers from Gauntlet: Part 1

<p>The Gauntlet was three days of intense, gritty volleyball. Throughout the weekend, Prep Dig Scouts identified Top Performers who stood out in the toughest matches. Top Performers can be athletes who excelled, showed leadership, and/or showed grit on the court. They can stand out for a plethora of reasons.</p> <p>Here are some of the Top Performers identified at the Gauntlet.</p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="73471" first="Mya" last="Cinnamo"] – Right Side – Northern Lights 17-2</h3> <p>Mya is an explosive and impactful pin hitter who is highly valuable on this Northern Lights team. She puts up a massive block and has a huge vertical and strong press on the net. Mya is an explosive athlete who takes advantage of every touch she gets on the ball.</p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="82901" first="Maddy" last="McGath"] – Middle Blocker – Sting 17 Gold – Committed to WVU  </h3> <p>Maddy is a physical and athletic middle. She is aggressive and powerful at the net. Maddy is a valuable middle because she can run plays quickly and efficiently both in front of and behind the setter. She has a heavy hand on the ball and puts up a massive and consistent block.  </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="138658" first="Lily" last="Barry"] – Pin Hitter – Illini Elite 17 Cardinal – Committed to University of Illinois</h3> <p>Lily is explosive, dynamic, and has an incredibly high volleyball IQ. She learns from every point she plays. While she is a huge asset on offense for this talented Illini Elite team, she excels on defense and serve receive. She reads opponents, reacts quickly, and gets a touch on nearly everything that comes over the net.</p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="138657" first="Kenna" last="Wollard"] – Pin Hitter – Illini Elite 17 Cardinal – Committed to Purdue University</h3> <p>Kenna has a high reach and huge presence at the net. She can play all six rotations and is dynamic on both offense and defense. Kenna manages to provide consistency in serve receive in one moment then pounding a ball the next.</p> <h3>Alexandria Barcenas – Setter – New Wave 15 Tsunami</h3> <p>Alexandria is the type of athlete who is ready for anything on the court. She will get to base then pursue a ball across the court. She balances all of the different aspects of being a setter – speed, leadership, communication, and execution, very well.</p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="156293" first="Ella" last="Craggs"] – Setter – MiElite 15 Mizuno</h3> <p>Ella is an athletic and gritty setter. She runs the court well and has a great presence on the court. She works to better the ball on every set and brings energy and leadership to the court. She is quick, athletic, and smart as a setter and has huge potential for growth.</p> <h3>Ellie Rink – Outside Hitter – Illini Elite 15 Cardinal</h3> <p>Ellie is an impactful pin hitter who has a lot of speed and power at the net. She takes an explosive approach and is not afraid to take risks. Ellie is a go-to hitter on her team and earns a lot of points on the pin. She is also solid in defense and serve receive.</p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="178225" first="Jumana" last="Martin"] – Libero – FC Elite 15 Navy</h3> <p>Jumana is scrappy and gritty as a libero. She gets a touch on nearly every ball and her scrappiness showed this weekend. Jumana also has a huge amount of potential as an athlete. She has great form and sound fundamentals. Her court awareness is great and she has great control on serve receive. Jumana will be a fun athlete to watch as she continues to develop in the sport.</p>