Triple Crown NIT Players to Watch – Surfside 16 PV Legends
In this article:
One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof. It will be held in Kansas City, MO on February…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOne of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof. It will be held in Kansas City, MO on February 18-20th. We have quite a few of our wonderful California teams that will be present to showcase their skills amongst the nations best. We will be previewing some of these teams and telling college scouts which players they should be watching out for. Even though we can write about each and every athlete that contributes to their success, I am only going to cover a few players that are standing out to me in the beginning of the season. Let’s meet a few of them.
Kaci Demaria Kaci Demaria 6'3" | OH Palos Verdes | 2025 State #7 Nation CA [2025] 6-3 Outside (HS: Palos Verdes/Club: Surfside Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Kaci is currently an unranked prospect in the state according to the 2025 Prep Dig California State Rankings, but is on my watch list and should have no problem making the list when I update it in a few weeks. She plays for Palos Verdes High School and plays club for Surfside Volleyball. I wrote an article on her last summer at GJNC and here is a little refresher of what was written, “When we talk about game changing players, Kaci definitely comes to mind. She is a sure fire kill waiting to happen on the left side. She is for sure the star amongst stars for any team she plays on. Miss Demaria is no stranger to accolades as she has already burst onto the scene as a standout freshman for her high school. When I watched her play at nationals, I was blown away by her abilities. She is their go to point scorer whether she is in the front row or the back row.” Not a lot has changed when it comes to her being the “go to” hitter, except for the fact that this young lady has gotten taller and stronger. We are going to unveil the new rankings for Cali pretty soon and it is safe to say that Miss Demaria has what it takes to be at the top of the list. We will be watching her very closely at Triple Crown in a few weeks in person and cannot wait to update our readers on her production. She is definitely one to watch at the tournament.
Kalyssa Blackshear [2025] 6-4 Middle (HS: Torrance/Club: Surfside Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Kalyssa is currently an unranked prospect in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings, but will have no trouble making the cut in the next update in a few weeks when I release it. She plays at Torrance High School and also club for the awesome Surfside program. Miss Blackshear has everything you want in a top tier middle. Her frame is long and strong as she uses it both offensively and defensively at the net. Her footwork is impeccable and she drives her legs hard into the ground as she runs her quick attack routes. I love how she rises up so fast and is intent on smashing the ball around the block. Because of the length in her arms and the fact that she contacts at the peak of her reach, she creates an amazing angle on the attack when she gets on top of it making it very difficult for any defender to get under it. She is a member of the ten foot club meaning she can approach touch ten feet high in the air and that is something that all college coaches will drool over. Stay tuned for more from this talented young recruit.
Isabella Jones Isabella Jones 5'10" | S Redondo Union | 2025 State CA [2025] 5-9 Setter (HS: Redondo Union/Club: Surfside Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Bella is currently on the watch list in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings. She plays at Redondo Union High School and also club for Surfside volleyball. Miss Jones is capable of running both a 5-1 and a 6-2 offense and can easily battle at the net if her team needs her to. I love how fast she is out of the right back zone transitioning from defense to offense as she tracks down the pass from her teammates. She has a love for pursuit of the ball and is always in a fantastic position to play the ball to any teammate whether in system or out of system. Her footwork is impeccable but her hands truly steal the show as the ball comes out of them so smoothly and quick. One thing that amazes me when I watch her ball is how she always has “hands” on her mind, meaning that she is wanting to get her hands on the ball when setting at all times no matter how low the ball is being passed to her. She doesn’t give up and just use her platform to deliver the ball like most setters do. This is the kind of setter that you want for your program.
Other notable players for this star-studded roster are middle Daniela Rusich who runs a super fast tempo quick set in front of her setter. She truly makes it difficult for opposing middles to time her attack. Reese Stringer Reese Stringer 5'11" | S Mira Costa | 2026 State CA is another setter with full capabilities to run their amazing offense. Libero Olivia Foye has amazing defensive range and utilizes some great emergency techniques to keep the ball off of the ground. We will be highlighting these young ladies and others from this team in another article after the tournament. Stay tuned for more from this beast of a team.
As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Cali Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!