Big South Qualifier: Diamonds in the Dungeon – 16’s Attackers
The 2023 Big South Qualifier in Atlanta is over. There were over 1200 teams from all over the country, many vying for a bid to the Girls Junior National Volleyball Championship. There were over 50,000 spectators at this huge event,…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 2023 Big South Qualifier in Atlanta is over. There were over 1200 teams from all over the country, many vying for a bid to the Girls Junior National Volleyball Championship. There were over 50,000 spectators at this huge event, with 3 days of continuous play, on 228 courts. On the third and final day of a tournament, many players refer to the higher number courts as “the dungeon“. If things did not go well the first two days for your team, your team is relegated to the flights on these courts. The dungeon is reached by navigating a series of escalators that bring you down into the depths of the convention center. These teams are playing for posterity’s sake, as hopes for shiny metal are gone. That doesn’t mean that there was any shortage of excitement or talent, and much of this talent gets overlooked. I was able to watch many 16’s teams compete and visited the dungeon to seek out players that could have easily been playing for gold. Here are some 2025 Hitters that shined.
Samantha Omslaer
Samantha Omslaer
I watched Samantha for several minutes and she is a true all around 6 rotation outside hitter. Starting with her awesome topspin serve that challenged some great defenses. Her back row play was outstanding with good reading skills resulting in digs that were on the mark. Her serve receive resulted in her offense being in system most of the time and often set her up to show off her great back row attack. Her approach is nearly perfect, her swing powerful, and her shot selection was outstanding. She also truly embraced her teammates, showing she is a team leader.
Ava Donvito
Ava Donvito
Another standout pin hitter on the BVA 16 Elite Carlos team. This right side hitter checks all the boxes when looking for a solid right side. She approaches inside the line, giving this right hander a great line shot as well as the cut, both of which she used surgically when needed to score. She hits well in transition as well. She sets the pin well and has great vertical on blocks, challenging the opponents outside hitter. Her off block coverage was all the way to the line, a result of her great reading skill and speed on the court.
Noel Lugo
Noel Lugo
This right handed Outside/Opposite hitter was a standout on this team. Her server receive was outstanding, a result of her incredible focus. She too, checked all the boxes for a versatile pin hitter. Aggressive off-block coverage, set the pin early and coordinated the block, high hands on attack, tooling the block often. She hits well in transition and had a notable serve.
Morgan Hartley
Morgan Hartley
Morgan is a solid player that is at home at right side as she is at middle. She attacked from both positions, and proved to be a formidable blocker with great hands, forcing hitters around her. She hit down the line very accurately and her thumb down cut shot is almost a certain score.
Fantini, Liliani
Fantini, Liliani
Every once in a while, you see a player that stands out because something doesn’t look right. Liliani fits this description. Her height does not scream she should be a middle. The roster for the event lists her as a setter. When I watched her, she was playing 6 rotation middle, and very well I might add. She had an impressive vertical, hitting high “2” balls over the block on several occasions. She got hands on several blocks and was very quick to the pins, blocking in perfect step with the pin blocker. Her communication via audibles was impressive, especially when out of system, allowing her to get a swing. Did I mention she played 6 rotations?! Her defense was very solid, both in serve receive and in rally digs. She obviously can play any position on the court, and be a true contributor.