2023 Liberos and Setters to watch out West

Andy Cole

April 21, 2023 @ 11:08 AM

Look for these players as they compete against many players soon. Gretel Estephanie, 2023, 5'3", DS, NuBreed – Sliding, gliding, and riding a wave are three ways to describe Gretel Estephanie as she covers a lot of court in the back row. She gets close to contact with teammates to really make sure that every ball is not hitting the floor. As the adjectives imply this movement is multi-directional whether picking up a tip or intercepting an attacked volleyball. When getting between the floor and the ball, Estephanie rolls out of her dive very well and is ready for more. That agility transfers to her hand with great flexibility in her wrist on her standing float serve.   Emma Fa'alogo, 2023, 5'8", S, APEX1 – Emma Fa'alogo has been noted as a hard worker and loyal. After watching her play, that comment is verified. The results of her hard work include an ability to accurately set an outside hitter from one sideline to the other making a set like Superman. When setting the middle, she slings a wider middle set very quick and then softens up to place a set run closer to her. As she gets into her defensive moves, she digs ball from head (forehead actually) to toe and additionally from three feet to as deep as 27 feet. [player_tooltip player_id='160883' first='Hailey' last='Church'], 2023, 5'8", S, So-Cal United – When looking for aces, make a beeline directly to the court that [player_tooltip player_id='160883' first='Hailey' last='Church'] is serving on and watch her serve do anything but a traditionally spiraling bee line down the sideline. This laser consistently brings +1 tap to the scoreboard. As quick as she scores a point on the service line, Church also will drop a two-handed tip to the middle of the court for another +1 on the scoreboard. With all this manufactured offense, she also keeps all of her hitters involved by setting the backrow. Andie Giles, 2023, 5'4", L – Andie Giles is unafraid to step and prep for any hit as she can often be found eagerly waiting the opponent's offense eight feet away from the net. That same eager mentality is found as Giles goes above and beyond staying with a play after contact by looking to celebrate with her defensive teammates immediately. Additionally, she has excellent vision of the ball. Her acknowledgment of the differing hit, hard driven or offspeed, is found in how close or far away she contacts the ball from her body. Phoebe Galland, 2023, 5'6", L/DS – Any effective position player is usually a great communicator and Phoebe Galland is no exception to that greatness. She is active with her arms in communicating the direction of traffic that teammates should move in while a play is happening. With the urgency that volleyball is played with, that is quite impressive. She makes great use of her legs and is exceptionally good at passing serve 25-27 feet in depth in which she must back-peddle. Managing a two-person serve receive, it is no surprise that Galland picks up tips close to the net very well.

Look for these players as they compete against many players soon.

Gretel Estephanie, 2023, 5'3", DS, NuBreed – Sliding, gliding, and riding a wave are three ways to describe Gretel Estephanie as she covers a lot of court in the back row. She gets close to contact with teammates to really make sure that every ball is not hitting the floor. As the adjectives imply this movement is multi-directional whether picking up a tip or intercepting an attacked volleyball. When getting between the floor and the ball, Estephanie rolls out of her dive very well and is ready for more. That agility transfers to her hand with great flexibility in her wrist on her standing float serve.