Red Rock Rave NQ 17 Open Champs – Drive Nation 17 Red

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tons of talent gathered together in Las Vegas over the weekend for the Red Rock Rave Week Two National Qualifier.&nbsp; This is one of the toughest Qualifiers to play in since it garners attention from two of the most talented states for indoor volleyball in Texas and California.&nbsp; Both states have dominated the Open divisions for quite a while and this weekend was a testament to that.&nbsp; We have written about this team many times and there are quite a few reasons why.&nbsp; We are proud to announce that the Champions of the 17 Open Division of the Red Rock Rave National Qualifier is Drive Nation 17 Red.&nbsp; Let's take a closer look into this team and what I saw from them in this prestigious tournament.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Setters</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":344692,"width":98,"height":110,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/Carson-Eickenloff-e1678848687242.jpg?w=913" alt="" class="wp-image-344692" width="98" height="110" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team is blessed to have [player_tooltip player_id='142203' first='Carson' last='Eickenloff'] at the helm to run a 5-1 since [player_tooltip player_id='124135' first='Bethanie' last='Wu'] (Yale) went down with a finger injury earlier in the year.&nbsp; It is almost healed and she will be ready to go when she is released.&nbsp; Bethany is someone who I have been following for a few years now and she is special being a pinpoint accurate sharpshooter while dishing the rock.&nbsp; In this tourney, Carson was masterful in spreading the ball around to all of her hitters.&nbsp; She was surgical with her approach in the Gold Bracket and it paid off huge dividends to keep her team in contention.&nbsp; No team is in system 100% of the time in any match and having a setter like her who is able to track the ball down with ease thanks to really fast footwork is a blessing to their squad.&nbsp; While being listed at only 5'7”, most might think that she will not be able to battle at the net, but they are sorely mistaken.&nbsp; This young lady is a baller and not afraid of anything.&nbsp; She was built for setting at a fast and high level with a solid volleyball IQ and athleticism that is elite for the position.&nbsp; There were many times during the semifinals and championship match that she was pushing pin to pin tiring out the block and giving her hitters one on one scenarios and splits in the block. &nbsp;I wish every young setter would have watched the way she moved the ball around and evenly dispersed the ball, because in my opinion, it was textbook.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Middles</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":344693,"width":104,"height":136,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/Ayden-Ames-e1678848775395.jpg?w=782" alt="" class="wp-image-344693" width="104" height="136" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you are familiar with our rankings, you will understand that this team is blessed with a few of the top middles in the state of Texas.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='197073' first='Shelby' last='Burris'] is a 2025 stud and came in at a very crucial time during the semifinals and recorded a HUGE block when her team needed it the most.&nbsp; She was flying around and moved super well laterally at the net.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='178685' first='Jessica' last='Jones'] (LSU) is a very lengthy middle who held her own defensively for the majority of the final two matches.&nbsp; She recorded a few blocks and touches tons of balls to slow down the opposing attack.&nbsp; Both of these young ladies were instrumental to their squad's success in this entire tourney.&nbsp; The next young lady needs no true introduction, as she is the best middle in the Lone Star State.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='155117' first='Ayden' last='Ames'] (Nebraska) played like her ranking against the best competition and it just solidified my thought process in how I perceive her play.&nbsp; I like to see not only if they player can run the routes well, but also how effective they are with scoring out of them.&nbsp; When it comes to scoring efficiency from the slide in the last two gold bracket matches, she had to hit well over .400 with it.&nbsp; That is obviously an educated guess as I didn't take stats, but I guarantee it is pretty close.&nbsp; Two things were equally as impressive as her offense.&nbsp; The first thing that was impressive was that she absolutely shut down a few of the opposing attackers killing their momentum in the final two matches.&nbsp; It wasn't the fact that she blocked someone straight down that was impressive.&nbsp; It was the fact that she did it in a way that ignited her teammates and the crowd to create some momentum that was electric.&nbsp; In one play in particular, everyone witnessed Miss Ames position herself perfectly on the shoulder of the attacker, but just as the attacker changed direction of the ball with her arm swing, Ayden reached over while in mid-air and stuff blocked her opponent anyway.&nbsp; I joked, in a few articles and with her parents, that there was nothing she cannot do on the court, since her move to Texas.&nbsp; Her coaches at both high school and club have been moving her around and letting her learn some new positions and techniques.&nbsp; Her parents and I agreed that maybe setting was the only thing she couldn't do…NOPE!&nbsp; At one point in the semifinal match a ball was dug out of system and Ayden made a spectacular move to the ball, jumped, and set a perfectly placed and timed ball to her outside who crushed it.&nbsp; It was amazing to watch and everyone enjoyed it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Right Sides</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":344694,"width":107,"height":115,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/Grace-CArroll-e1678849087953.jpg?w=951" alt="" class="wp-image-344694" width="107" height="115" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were a few times when Coach Ping pulled out a defense for offense sub during some very crucial times that was quite surprising to me.&nbsp; I remember thinking how gutsy it was and how not many coaches would make that move in those situations.&nbsp; He would pull out his 5-1 front row setter and put in a blocker to slow down the high-level opposing attack.&nbsp; But you know what…it worked each time!&nbsp; You know why it worked?&nbsp; The blocker he put in for his setter was none other than [player_tooltip player_id='142202' first='Lillian' last='Croshaw'], who is no stranger to big moments or amazing play.&nbsp; She is a shut down middle/right side who can seal the net with the best of them.&nbsp; The other opposite who has a major impact in the success of this squad is [player_tooltip player_id='124114' first='Grace' last='Carroll'].&nbsp; The Baylor commit has really stepped up her game and is hitting the ball with unprecedented power as opposed to years past.&nbsp; The ability to swing both line and cross from this lefty stud allows her team to keep the pressure on their opponent by spreading the attack out.&nbsp; She makes it a lot easier for their top level left sides to score because she is keeping the opposing middle honest and not able to cheat over, as they don't know which pin the ball will go to.&nbsp; I was very impressed with the power she is showing now and there is no question that she is ready to be an immediate impact player at the next level.&nbsp; It was all very impressive as she was a key piece to them winning the title of this prestigious tourney.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Outsides</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":344695,"width":108,"height":108,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/LOLO-e1678849169760.jpg?w=1014" alt="" class="wp-image-344695" width="108" height="108" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Isn't that enough weapons for one team to have on a roster?  I guess this stellar star-studded squad needed just a few more killers to unleash on their opponents.  Let's start with the Black Widow herself, [player_tooltip player_id='124103' first='Vivian' last='Parker'].  This young lady is a six-rotation left side attacker who is calm on the court and very smooth with every aspect of the game.  [player_tooltip player_id='124102' first='Brianna' last='Watson'] (LSU) is another lengthy left side who is devastating on the pins.  She can score with authority from such a high contact point due to her awesome vertical and hang-time.  This jumping ability of hers makes it very difficult for any blocker to time her attack.  [player_tooltip player_id='124113' first='Lauryn' last='“Lolo” Lambert'] (University of Arkansas) is someone who also needs no introduction.  She is one of the most feared attackers in the nation in my opinion because she has the uncanny ability to adjust her footwork and speed to any set whether in system or out of system.  She uses amazing hand contact and an amazing vertical to score from the back row also.  What can I say?  The kid is just lethal.  Many times during the final two matches that I saw, Lolo was clutch and scored just when her team needed it.  But, in my humble opinion, her back row defensive play was just as clutch for this team to win against the teams they were up facing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Defensive Specialists/Liberos</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":344696,"width":99,"height":133,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/CAleigh-King-e1678849244471.jpg?w=761" alt="" class="wp-image-344696" width="99" height="133" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While most who watch the game will be in awe of this team's offensive genius, volleyball purists such as myself find how [player_tooltip player_id='155121' first='Avery' last='Baughman'] (Georgetown) and [player_tooltip player_id='180982' first='Caleigh' last='King'] (UNLV) played in the gold bracket matches to be the most crucial to their title.&nbsp; These two were amazing in the back row as they routinely saved the ball from hitting the floor without regard for their own bodies as they crashed all over the place.&nbsp; They were both stellar when it came to keeping their team in system during serve receive.&nbsp; I personally loved watching them play the game the way they did against some amazing opposing attackers. Wave and Coast both unleashed a fury of attacks their way and these two just dug them up and said, "can I have some more?" They are in my opinion one of the best duos in the back row to grace the sport court this season in their age group. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Putting an all-star team together like this is always going to have its struggles at the beginning as you look to gel them together.&nbsp; Add to that a few early season injuries, some may say that they were underperforming in the beginning of the season.&nbsp; I knew that it was only a matter of time to work out normal lineup issues, get healthy, and get used to playing with each other.&nbsp; This tournament was not easy to win and just shows that Drive Nation 17 Red is hitting their stride at the right time of the season to accomplish why they all came together to play for Coach Ping.&nbsp; “The Pingdom” as they call it is here and everyone better watch out.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:nov8vb@yahoo.com">nov8vb@yahoo.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->