15/16s Power Players at PWP
We were at PWP this weekend in Tulsa. PWP is well known in the state for the travel basketball teams they produce. Recently they have added volleyball to the mix and modified their brand new gym to house 3 full…
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Continue ReadingWe were at PWP this weekend in Tulsa. PWP is well known in the state for the travel basketball teams they produce. Recently they have added volleyball to the mix and modified their brand new gym to house 3 full sized volleyball courts. They had two separate divisions this weekend, 15/16 combined and 17/18 combined. We will be taking a look at a handful of the 15/16 first and then 17/18 in a later article.
Gold Bracket:
Semis- Virago 16-1 over Virago 15-2 and PWP 16-1 over CATVB 16-1
Finals- Virago 16-1 over PWP 16-1
Players:
Brooklyn Kuster #8, Libero for Virago 16-1. She was a huge reason this team was able to go 12-0 on sets on the day and bring home the championship. She has a great read on the ball both in serve receive and, more importantly, in transition defense. She made some plays that made the parents and her teammates stand up and cheer. She will be a great addition to the Sapulpa varsity program this next season. Keep an eye open for her name to start being talked about more and more.
Taylor Gudgel #87, Libero for PWP 16-1. Both liberos in the finals were busting their tails and making an impact for their team. Gudgel was able to take up a lot of space in serve receive. Her ability to dig high and off the net allowed her setters to put up good balls for their hitters. She was easily the defensive MVP for her team all day long.
Tinsley Mitchell #13, Outside Hitter for CATVB 16-1. Tinsley is a workhorse for her team. She sets the tempo with her effort and abilities. As a six-rotation outside hitter, she is in a position to make a huge impact. She does a great job in serve receive and transitions well to hit. She also is able to control the ball with where she wants to put it. I saw her work around blocks with ease and add in well-placed back row attacks.
Brooklyn Hicks #24, Middle Blocker for Virago 16-1. Brooklyn is a varsity starter for her Collinsville High school team. Her ability to take big swings in big moments was the pivoting moment in the championship. Virago was down 20-19 in the second set, she ran a quick middle and planted a ball in left back. That drastically changed the momentum and sparked a 5-2 run to end the match. She has power in her swings but also attacks from different areas of the net. Look for her to be an even bigger part of the offense next season.
Madisyn Moreno #10, Outside Hitter for Virago 15-2. She is a left handed six-rotation outside hitter. She was a big reason why Virago 15-2 was the only 15s team to make it to the gold bracket. This weekend, I got to see her make multiple smart out-of-system plays that helped get her team going. She has the athleticism to allow her skill to flourish. If she works hard, she could start to make an impact in her high school program.
Hope Mackie #7, Outside Hitter for PWP 16-1. I think Hope played awesome in the championship. She definitely led her team in kills and those came in a variety of ways, via off speed, power through the hole in the block, back row attack, or going hard cross. She is a tall, athletic player that has a chance to explode in her skills in the near future. I believe when she plays well, her team plays well.
Caroline Cohlmia #2, Defensive Specialist for Virago 16-1. She can do it all. She led the team in aces and server rating, was second on the team in digs and serve receive rating, and even had some key kills in the championship. Her great set of fundamentals comes from being at the powerhouse program, Bishop Kelley. She also is always a great, upbeat teammate. These things make for someone you always want on your team.
This was an awesome weekend of volleyball here in Tulsa. Lots of teams will be headed to Battle at the Fort in Arkansas this upcoming weekend and we will follow them to Fort Smith. Midwest Open will also be going on in Tulsa this weekend. Either way, you will get to see plenty of talent at each location.