Club Team Close Up: No Limits 16
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West Coast Volleyball Association President’s Day Showdown Champions! As the calendar flips to March, we take one last look at another Presidents Day Weekend championship brought home by a Washington team. The No Limits 16U squad features two high-impact eighth…
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Continue ReadingWest Coast Volleyball Association President’s Day Showdown Champions!
As the calendar flips to March, we take one last look at another Presidents Day Weekend championship brought home by a Washington team.
The No Limits 16U squad features two high-impact eighth graders, class of 2027 represent! Both are starters and leaders on the team even at a young age, starting with libero Katie Strong. Strong has great quickness and foot speed, and the ability to use that speed, then come under control and makes an accurate pass or set from her platform. She will cover a large part of the court in serve receive, confident enough to cut off balls that are in either seam. Strong has the aggressive mentality to attack if she has the opportunity to swing from the back row, and drives over free balls in a difficult spot.
Kristen Leaverton is the other eight grade starter for the team. A six-rotation outside, Leaverton has the ability to score from either pin, and is another solid passer in serve receive. The No Limits team thrives on ball control and serving, and she is excellent in both phases. As an attacker, she has the ability to run a faster tempo offense, and can drive the ball to the corner to rack up kills. Leaverton has plenty of athleticism and can run down a misplayed ball to keep a rally alive.
The team posted a 9-1 record at the tournament, including a 4-0 final day to win the Club Division Championship. The quality opponents including Vibe and Red Rock squads out of Northern California presented a difficult challenge. The team had setters Naylanee Strom Naylanee Strom 5'7" | S Toppenish | 2025 State WA (Toppenish) and Millea McMurry Millea McMurry 5'8" | S West Valley Yakima | 2025 State WA (West Valley Yakima) step into leadership roles in the clutch, and the team as a whole found another level entirely to push to the title. Here is an in-depth look at the rest of the players on this tough Yakima-based team coached by Lynnea Schlieman.
Garner takes a fast, aggressive approach as a middle, in transition, and when the offense is in system. She has good vision of the block and will turn the ball left or right to find the open seam and score. As a blocker, her press is consistently up and over the net, and once she gets two hands on an attack, strong hands let Garner score on stuff blocks.
A strong frame, good hands, and excellent length help McMurry push her sets to the outside accurately and from a neutral position. She will mix it up, finding her right side and middle when a pass is on target. McMurry has excellent foot speed and works extremely hard to get to and set every second ball. She shows an excellent, calm focus as the leader of the offense when she is on the court.
Huntley is a force swinging from the outside as well as the right and will drop back as a passer for No Limits in certain rotations. She is efficient when running a quick from the right side and shows a heavy, hard swing when she finds solid contact as an attacker. Huntley moves well and is a high-ceiling player who should continue to ascend with more training and time on the court.
Strom is a 2025 setter to keep an eye on. She is athletic on defense and dynamic running the attack for No Limits. The sophomore from Toppenish runs through tips and off-speed shots with ease, getting a solid read and leaving the ball in a great spot for her two talented libero/ds to deliver a good out-of-system set. She jump sets consistently, will deliver the ball to her middles from the 8-10 foot line and can run a fast-tempo offense. Strom will toss in a tricky dump from the setter spot and has a tough jump float serve. An overall excellent player!
A quick leaper, Escamillia will go up and solo block a back-row attack, then pounce on an overpass for a kill. She is very athletic and smooth in transition, attacking around the block and finding corners to terminate a point. Escamillia will wipe a set off a block when she has to adjust to an off-target set and has the fast feet and athletic ability to set a strong block pin to pin.
Torres plays the DS role and gives the team essentially two play-making liberos when she is on the court. Her serving is pinpoint accurate and she has an excellent pace, many of the larger No Limit runs happen when she steps to the service line. Torres has a high volleyball IQ and a fundamentally sound platform in serve receive. When Torres and libero Strom are both on the court, it’s very difficult to put down any sort of off-speed shot on No Limits!
Besst has intimidating length when she sets the block from the right side or the middle blocker spot. She is growing as an attacker, showing a willingness to take a solid swing. When Besst has a chance to contest for an overpass or joust at the next she uses here great size and strong hands to challenge for the point.
A quick and athletic left hand attacker, Ramos is a threat to terminate points form the right side. She will swing at the seam, and also can score down the line. We also saw Ramos work in a soft tip to score right over the opposing blocker. She will drop back into the back row to play defense, showing versatility and a willingness to keep the ball off the floor.
Another pin attacker with good size, Halverson takes a big approach and a heavy swing when she is set. Strong at the point of attack as a blocker, she will track an opposing attacker well and set the block in a good position. No Limits will run her down the middle on “2” ball sets and Halverson does an excellent job working around the block to find a way to score. She can hit line from either pin and as a team the No Limits pin hitters show a willingness to move their shots around the court.