Day 1 Standouts in 17/18 Premier at Midwest Crossroads Finale

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Teams across the Midwest traveled to the Illinois/Indiana border to compete at the Midwest Crossroads Finale. Day 1 in the 17/18 division was very competitive across pools, and it was impressive to see teams go head-to-head at such a high level. Here are some day 1 standouts from the Midwest Crossroads Finale. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cailyn Myers - 1st Alliance 17 White</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cailyn was explosive on the right side. She is a left-handed pin with big power and is a go-to hitter on her team. She can consistently manufacture points on the pin and is always hungry for more contacts on the ball. Her competitive energy on the court is motivating, and she was a key player for 1st Alliance today. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kaitlyn Frys - EVC 18 Elite </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaitlyn was all over the court today. Defense, offense, serve receive, you name it, she did it. She is a consistent force on her team and is very smart in her play. Kaitlyn played as a 6-rotation outside and had a big offensive impact in both the front and back row. Her defense and serve receive were key for her team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sophia Williams - [program_tooltip program_id='429100' first='Club' last='1'] 17 Skronskstrong</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophia seemed to be unstoppable on the pin today. She is a high-flying athlete with a consistently high contact point and a quick follow-through. She moves her shots around and executes well on any set pushed her way. Her line and deep cross shots were particularly impressive when I saw her play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grace Korbar - Uno 17 Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grace is a setter with a great touch on the ball. She has a high contact point on her sets and stays pretty neutral on contact with the ball, which makes her hard to read. What stood out to me was her seemingly seamless connection with her hitters. She moved the ball around cleanly and efficiently and always got her hands on the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chloe Jackson - Epic United 18-17 Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chloe played as a six-rotation right side today and absolutely rocked it. On offense, she was dynamic and powerful, and on defense, she was scrappy yet controlled. Chloe balanced the game so well and was always an option for her setter. She gets the job done when she is on the court and is very efficient in her play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Michelle Charles - Epic United 18-17 Elite </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Michelle simply flies on the court. I would love to see what her vertical is because she was hitting over opposing blockers. She caught my eye very early on in the day. Her timing and connection on sets were solid, and she was engaged in every play. On the pin, Michelle is a huge asset to her team and a player who gets a lot of contacts on the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Faith Baker - EVC 17 Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Faith was another right side who had a huge impact on matches today. Her blocking set her apart on the court. She has naturally good timing and vision with her block and executes consistently. She also had key kills for her team throughout the day. Faith led by example on the court, always getting the job done and covering her teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='226352' first='Gabrielle' last='Peter'] - Top Flight 18 Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gabrielle is possibly the biggest powerhouse pin at the tournament. She is aggressive and crazy-powerful. Her swings on both pins and out of the back row did a lot of damage to opponents. Gabrielle is committed to the University of Illinois-Chicago and definitely plays at a competitive and high level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kate Hong - 1st Alliance 17 Red</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kate is a setter who should be on your radar. She has great form and even better court awareness. She does everything at a high level. From her serve to her defense, Kate is relentless. With every contact, she impressed me more and more. She puts great tempo on the ball and has precise placement on her sets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Leila Rodriguez - New Wave 17 Tsunami </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leila was an impact middle. She had a lot of energy and made big plays on the court. She is very athletic and has very quick reactions on the court. She moves pin to pin on the block with seeming ease. Leila had a huge impact every time she was on the court. She gets great first contact with her block and is always hungry for the ball on offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gracen Haska - 1st Alliance 17 Black </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gracen is a powerhouse middle. When she connects, you can hear the ball's thump as it hits the ground. She is incredibly aggressive with her shots and takes an explosive approach. Gracen also puts up a solid block that stops or slows down a lot of balls coming over the net. Gracen was a key player in every match for 1st Alliance today. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->