Molten Pre-Q 16 Open: Power, Size, Skill

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2025 came to play this past weekend at the Molten Pre-Qualifier. Like the 15 open division, the 16 open division displayed a competitive atmosphere with the top 5 teams finishing above .500. The 16 open division standouts I emphasize in this piece show a diverse mix of power, size, and skill. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='499510' first='Charlotte' last='Thompson'] - 5'10" OH - Tampa United Volleyball Academy - Class of 2025</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Charlotte is a dynamic athlete with quick feet and bounciness to hit through, around, and even over the block. She is a 6-rotation outside who is able to take on a big offensive role for her team as their go-to hitter. Outside of her athleticism, Charlotte showcased a range of shots with the ability to put them anywhere on the court. Her ability to execute shots as well as a quick arm swing makes the defense on the other side have to respect not only her speed but her off-speed as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Julianna Mano - 6'1" M - OTVA 15 Randy - Class of 2026</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Being in a younger age group playing up at 16 open didn't stop Julianna from displaying her size and skill on the court. Her tenacious effort to close the block and transition off of the net is a key way she's able to create more offense. Being 6'1", she uses all of her height not only for her blocking but to be able to be an offensive threat out of the middle. Julianna is able to contact the ball high enough to use different angles to hit around the block, as well as utilize tips and pushes to keep defenders on their heels. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='455053' first='Sophia' last='Ochoa'] - 5'10" OH - Ocala Power 16 Adidas - Class of 2025</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophia is an all-around outside hitter that utilizes her skills both on offense and defense. Her experience out on the beach is very apparent when she comes onto the court with her ball control for both passing and hitting. Not only does she have a heavy arm swing, but has the shots to be able to keep her defenders guessing. Sophia helped carry her team to a 2nd place finish this weekend with a great performance throughout the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Lindsay Smith - 6'1" OH - Tallahassee Volleyball Academy - Class of 2026</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the winning team this tournament, it was very apparent who their go-to hitter was. In a tight three-set loss to TUVA she was still able to show her ability to be a hitting option no matter the type of pass or set she was given. The diversity of sets given to her showed me her ability to not only play outside hitter at a high level but the middle and opposite hitter positions as well. Lindsay consistently did the small things at a high level, whether it was her transition footwork or her ability to read the hitter for both blocking and back-row defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='499524' first='Kayden' last='Barber'] - 5'8" M - Ocala Power 16 Adidas - Class of 2025</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A shorter middle who is super athletic, quick, and bouncy for the position. The first few plays I watched from her were explosive from her aggressive approach to her fast swing. Although she only plays three rotations, she makes sure to make them count. Kayden does an amazing job reading the setter to be able to close her block and work her way off the net to consistently be an option for them on offense. Her athleticism and explosiveness are apparent from the moment you watch her, but what's more impressive to me is her ability to make the right play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 16's age group is showing high-level talent, from size to athleticism to high IQ. Can't wait to see how the division and these athletes will develop for the rest of the season. I will next showcase the 17 open division at the Molten Pre-Q where there were a plethora of athletes that impressed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->