Standouts at Kaizen Inv. 15/16s

Derek Jackson March 6, 2023 @ 01:07 PM

Kaizen hosted a huge swath of boys teams at the Tulsa Convention Center in downtown Tulsa. Although the boys were the main draw, there were plenty of talented girls teams in attendance as well. Lets take a look at a handful of top 15s and 16s players in attendance.   <h2>15s:</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='740998' first='Kelsey' last='Patton'] #55, Middle Blocker for Elevate 15-1. She provided a big net presence defensively for Elevate. She is able to reach into opposing hitter's space and create a smaller hitting area for them. Elevate was able to upset the #1 seed, Virago 15-1, to punch their ticket to the title match. This team has already won 20 matches this season.   Brenda Carter #6, Outside Hitter for Virago 15-1. She has grown leaps and bound from the beginning of the season till now. She has a vertical and great touch point that allows her to go over the top of most blockers. The thing that has impressed me is the ability to control the ball better. It has given her a much larger range to be an effective attacker.   The whole TPV 15-2 team. They have now won the gold championships in back to back tournaments. They currently sit at top 300 in the nation. Coach Smith is having her girls growing and progressing each week. We have written about the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='288991' first='Isabella' last='Shondelmyer'], [player_tooltip player_id='288992' first='Ally' last='Thompson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='286293' first='Kamryn' last='Lehrman'] in previous articles. This team may have the making of a Darkhorse come regionals.   <h2>16s:</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='297106' first='Mia' last='Benson'] #2, Middle Blocker for Charge South 16-1. This team does not get the love they deserve. They have risen into the top 10 in the state. They are a hard working crew that plays well together. Mia is someone you will notice immediately. She works hard to be set often and she makes great decisions with the ball. She tips and pushes the ball to all four corners of the court and will take a big rip if you don't double block her. She is someone who will sneak up and take an upperclassmen's job if they don't match her work ethic.   Peyton Heath #11, Setter for Virago 16-1. She has continued to progress over the season. She is becoming a vocal and physical leader on the court for her team. Her range is increasing and she is tracking down a wider array of passes. She is a big reason this team has gone to the gold bracket in every tournament this season.   Camryn Liechti #8, Right Side Hitter/Setter for Redline 16-1. Cam is a highly skilled individual. She has some of the best control I have seen in terms of hitting this season. She can wrist away or thumb down very comfortably. She can do a little of everything and do it with a smile. I witnessed her set some for her team and she does a great job of setting the outside hitter despite fading towards the right side.   Juliana Castillo #9, Middle Blocker for Heat 16 Black. Heat played great all weekend long. Juliana was a spark of energy in plenty of their scoring runs. She could do it offensively with a timely swing to the deep corner or by putting up a wall of a block! Either way, she turns around and exudes energy that finds its way into her teammates. Look for this team to continue to get better and cause problems for teams.     It was another great weekend of volleyball in Oklahoma. We are on the back stretch now. We are seeing teams sharpening their skills and starting to put it all together. The following two months will be something special.

Kaizen hosted a huge swath of boys teams at the Tulsa Convention Center in downtown Tulsa. Although the boys were the main draw, there were plenty of talented girls teams in attendance as well. Lets take a look at a handful of top 15s and 16s players in attendance.