Fitz’s “Live Eye” ’25 Impact Players of the Year – West and South
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Over the course of a year between club season, camps, high school season, and showcases I see hundreds of athletes, maybe even four digits. I have taken plenty of notes, I write articles, but sometimes I take time and think…
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Continue ReadingOver the course of a year between club season, camps, high school season, and showcases I see hundreds of athletes, maybe even four digits. I have taken plenty of notes, I write articles, but sometimes I take time and think back to the athletes who really stand out. Here are athletes who left an impact, an impact where I don’t need notes for these athletes – they are that good on a national level. For these athletes, I may have seen some of them across multiple platforms (club and high school) and they have shown they can play among the best. I always think there is so much growth from the 15s to 16s year with athletes having a greater sense of self, more training, and are coming into their own on and off the court. I’m so excited to watch them in 2023, but first let’s celebrate the “Live Eye Impact Players of the Year – 2025 Edition).
*These are all athletes I have seen live, these are not recommended by any coaches.
Highlights
I saw DeMaria play at Triple Crown and was able to see her quite a bit at USAV in Indy this past July. She hits a heavy ball, her ability to attack and score points are obviously huge attributes to her game where she had a ton of swings for her Surfside team. Aside from the solid fundamentals and big blasts, she has a really mature IQ where she knows the open spots on the court, she can mix up her shots, she can handle a huge amount of serve receive. She never seems to get frazzled, her intangibles seem to be the glue for her team which speaks volumes for someone at the 15s level.
Ava Poinsett – Coast 15-1 (CA)
Ava Poinsett
Ava Poinsett
Always available. Poinsett could make a diving play and then get up to get a solid hand contact on the ball to score points. I saw her at Triple Crown and USAV and in both high pressure tournaments she was a key point scoring threat for Coast. From the outside she had an aggressive approach and a violent swing. The same can be said when she was playing out of the backrow. She is a scoring threat no matter where she is on the court.
Teraya Sigler
Teraya Sigler
I watched AZ Storm early at USAV because I knew as the top seed, they were the ones to beat. The physicality of Sigler is tough to match. As a six rotation outside, Sigler hits such a heavy ball, make it tough for the other side to stay in system if they are able to get a touch. She takes a lot of swings, but knows when to use the block to her advantage. Heading into the 2023 season, she will be a key prospect that the West Coast colleges will be keeping tabs on as well as plenty of other schools across the country.
Fitch is “Simply Electric”. I use the word simply because she really keeps it simple. She takes what the defense gives her and goes for it. That was a good way to describe her national championship Alamo 15 Premier team was they won the USAV 15 Open title and Fitch was named the MVP of the tournament. She hits the ball hard like every outside hitter at this level, but its her placement, her IQ, and maturity that makes her next level. She’s long and athletic and there is still plenty of upside to her game.
So explosive! What is exciting about Rogers is that she can do it from multiple positions in the front row. Teams have to follow her everywhere. She doesn’t just bang away from the outside, she’s not a one trick pony. There are routes where she can come through the middle and can swing on the right pin as well. Seeing her approach can be a little scary for the other side of the net because its extremely aggressive and she varies her approach angles where she can take the ball plenty of directions. I’m super excited to see what her 16s year will bring.
Highlights
I think Musgrove can be one of the top setters in the Class of 2025. There is so much upside to her game, incredibly dynamic. She has to be 6’1 or 6’2, left-handed and can run the show as a setter or can swing from the right side. When I see her play, I see similarities to incoming Texas setter Ella Swindle from KC Power who has that length that allows her to block, attack, and have an impact in every facet of the game. As her physicality at the net improves and she continues to develop as an all around player and athlete, she is going to be a must get for college coaches in their 2025 recruiting class.
I was able to see Brown set at USAV in the first match of 15 Open and she played with such command for AJV. She’s long, athletic, and has a no fear style where she is going to find a way to win for her team. There is a really strong fundamental base to her game and it will be fun to watch her game develop where she can truly be a 5-1 setter at a high level. She can block and when the opportunity presents itself, she can throw it down on the second contact. This Texas Class of 2025 is loaded!
Highlights
Porter flies everywhere on the court. She is a lightning bolt, where she can strike with authority causing plenty of damage. Watching her play for Houston Skyline this past year was exciting. She was a big reason why they were one of the top teams in the country. What sets her apart from the others is how she can do this from the outside or right side, and is a solid defender as well as attacker from the backcourt. Her skill set is so dynamic where her teams can use her in a variety of ways. She also has a fun vibe with plenty of smiles on the court too.
So physical. Davis might hit the ball the hardest out of any of these 2025s as she was a big time standout for Drive Nation at the 16s level. She is currently the top ranked prospect in the Texas Class of 2025. She knows how to lead, how to win, there are so many positives that tilt in her favor. Take the skill away from Davis, and you will have one of the top overall athletes on the court. Her size, quickness, and explosiveness is tough to top – and combined with her overall skill, she is one of the tops in the country.
Kinney is out of South Florida where Boomers is always a contender when they step onto the court. What makes Kelly Kinney Kelly Kinney 6'2" | OH The King’s Academy | 2025 State #15 Nation FL really special is her scoring ability from anywhere on the court. She knows how to find an opening and has a scoring mentality where she’s going to split the block or frustrate opponents by using the block to her advantage. She will be a top prospect out of the Sunshine State and one to watch throughout this upcoming 2023 season. She has experience training with plenty of these athletes listed here with USA NTDP.
Cari Spears played her club ball for Metro out of the DC area this past season, but has since moved to Texas where she played for Prestonwood Christian Academy and will play for TAV this upcoming season. I know I find myself saying this often about a lot of players, but Spears truly is one of the best players in the country. Her skills at the net are scary good, where she is so physical with her block and is tough to stop offensively. She was picked to be on the U19 National Team where she spent the club season playing as a 15 on a 16s team. The future is bright to say the least.
Erika Sayer
Erika Sayer
Sayers might be a little bit of a hidden gem and someone not quite on the national radar, but after seeing her for her club team this summer at nationals and her high school team playing in the state tournament this fall, I think she has a really scary upside. She’s a fast twitch middle who is so quick laterally and when she is attacking off one foot, forget about it – she’s scoring. Her Colorado Juniors 16s team is going to be one to watch this season. They just missed out on an open bid this past season, but they have a lot of pieces returning where they are going to play in some big matches and Sayer will be an essential key to their success.