2023 Early Season Defenders to Watch
A great offense comes from watching these California athletes playing defense. Whether at the net or in the backcourt, they are setting themselves up from their reads and complementing that with finishing a maneuaver. These athletes brought forward tenacity and…
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Continue ReadingA great offense comes from watching these California athletes playing defense. Whether at the net or in the backcourt, they are setting themselves up from their reads and complementing that with finishing a maneuaver. These athletes brought forward tenacity and discipline and are great athletes to find from play in February.
Loimata Siaki (2023) | 6’1” | MB | APEX1 VBC
A big second step sets up Loimata Siaki for a power vs. power matchup against a middle blocker. Her swing full of power unquestionably and (in the traditional sense of the word) flippantly goes to zone five. Siaki, a swing blocker, drops her hands well when tap blocking against a quick. She touches a height of the second white on the antenna when blocking.
Madison Remis (2023) | 5’3” | L/DS |Empower
Madison Remis will find her way to being a genius of geometry with her consistent, regular passing on the left side of her body. To get there though, she exercises a lot of use of her legs that stimulates activity. The left side thinking continues when Remis goes for a tip from the opponent’s rightside hitter as she leads with her left side making her body face in to the court.
Grace Maxwell (2023) | 5’7” | L/DS | Seal Beach
Grace ‘Grit’ Maxwell can be a new moniker for this backrow player from Southern California. Maxwell has no hesitation throwing her body to the ball. When a ball is low and in front of her she is ready and in her most fundamentally sound posture. Giving patience to the ball, she also plays it close to her body and will make a seldom chicken wing maneuver.
Sydney McClellan (2023) | 5’6” | L/DS | Empower
Vocal leadership, which Sydney McClellan practices through talking about what she is doing, can be a challenging role to assert in the urgent game of volleyball. McClellan is communicative and also yields to the play creating an excellent last tenth of a second reaction to play the ball. Although she waits, she will also step up and use hands to receive a serve.
Naila Ia (2023) | 6’0” | MB | APEX1 VBC
Thumb down after contact of the ball is what will be seen quite often when Naila Ia hits. Additionally, Ia gives thumbs up to ball jump while hitting to the high deep corner down the line or picking off the set earlier in its trajectory to hit cross court. She touches a height of the second red on the antenna.
Mallory Villarreal (2023) | 5’10” | RS | Seal Beach
A hitter focused on success, Mallory Villarreal will continue a four step approach to many more steps when needed. However, in system, Villarreal makes an abrupt stop on her approach pattern to leap vertically to her potential. While the approach is an active part of her hitting, she also sports an excellent finesse game with control.