Standout Liberos Dominate ASICS Challenge

As promised, it's time to kick off our positional features from a star-studded ASICS Challenge field.   It's always tough to figure out where to start after a stacked tournament like this, but I feel pretty good about this choice. Even with all the last weekend's standout attackers, it feels right to start these features with a look at the tournament's indispensable liberos. The impact of this position was unmatched.   So, here's a look at a few defensive specialists who caught my eye at the ASICS Challenge.     Anchoring the Backcourt   Fittingly, the two teams participating in the ASICS Challenge championship both had liberos selected to the all-tournament team.   It was no surprise to see Mother McAuley senior [player_tooltip player_id='138650' first='Gigi' last='Navarrete'] performing well on the big stage. No stage is too big for this GJNC champion. Navarrete was the catalyst for so many transition attacking opportunities for the Mighty Macs, as her digs consistently land on the setter's head and allow McAuley to run its offense. Opposing hitters had a tough time terminating in the crosscourt with Navarrete patrolling the end line, and there's no doubt about the worthiness of her all-tournament selection.   Notre Dame Academy's [player_tooltip player_id='170952' first='Kamden' last='Schrand'] was also recognized for her extraordinary work with the Pandas. This strong ASICS Challenge is just a continuation of Schrand's prep tenure with NDA, and she will have a chance to stay in the spotlight when she heads to Louisville next fall.   And the list of D1-bound liberos at this event just keeps growing. [player_tooltip player_id='225988' first='Lia' last='Schneider'] of St. Charles East provided so much steady ball control and helped the Saints earn a Silver bracket championship last Saturday. The South Florida commit allows her team to comfortable pass with two and still put out dimes in serve receive.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1576271759929536512?s=20&t=jCl3OE1ICCqU_e0kdCCvZg </div></figure>   The aforementioned trio brings a lot of senior leadership, but what about the youth movement at libero? Perhaps the strongest underclassman at this position was Assumption sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='172945' first='Kristen' last='Simon']. We documented the stat-stuffing night she had when the Rockets took down Mother McAuley last Thursday, and Simon's impact carried into the ASICS Challenge. The Assumption libero factory continues to produce.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/10/IMG_0432-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1664911117.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-232247" width="490" height="322"/><figcaption>Simon passes for Assumption at the 2022 ASICS Challenge.</figcaption></figure>   I also won't hesitate to mention the team from my home state. Omaha Skutt Catholic continues to get outstanding contributions from junior libero [player_tooltip player_id='109597' first='Paisley' last='Douglas'], who spends a lot of time playing middle-back defense in Skutt's system. You also have to acknowledge the all-out effort displayed by primary defensive specialist Anna Weberg. The senior was clearly not afraid to lay out for a ball and take some bumps and bruises in the process.   For the Illinois readers here, we have a couple more names to address. Junior libero [player_tooltip player_id='136624' first='Reese' last='Butkus'] had a solid outing for Nazareth and was especially impactful during Saturday's bracket play. Likewise, Reilly Chausse provided some great energy for what was a successful weekend for Sandburg.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1576218069982412800?s=20&t=jCl3OE1ICCqU_e0kdCCvZg </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1576032245948723203?s=20&t=jCl3OE1ICCqU_e0kdCCvZg </div></figure>   You can bet that Wisconsin got in on the libero action, too. [player_tooltip player_id='91882' first='Olivia' last='deGuzman'] got in on plenty of impressive defensive plays for Divine Savior Holy Angels. Another Milwaukee Sting representative also had a great weekend for Kettle Moraine, as [player_tooltip player_id='82910' first='Kyleigh' last='Coghlan'] contributed to some intense rallies for the Lasers. And, just to add to the senior libero trend, Hamilton's [player_tooltip player_id='82949' first='Mya' last='Trafficante'] also anchored the Chargers' steady defensive presence.

As promised, it's time to kick off our positional features from a star-studded ASICS Challenge field.