Florida Regional Qualifier Standouts Pt. 3

<p>In the past two parts of this series, we took a sneak peek into just a few of the top prospects in the specialty positions of setter and libero. In the last three parts of this series I will highlight just some of the plethora of talented hitter prospects from Florida. For this part I will be taking a deep dive into five of the best outside hitter prospects I saw from the last qualifier back at the end of April. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='444462' first='Amelia' last='Haggins']: TVA 17 Smack Megan (Class of 2024)</h2>   <p>Amelia showcased her elite athleticism throughout the past weekend putting up massive blocks on defense and swinging over the block on offense. Amelia is an absolute force in the front row especially on offense with the combination of a fast high swing and touch on the ball. Her hitting prowess starts with her speed as she hits past blockers in a seam or outside of the block. Once the defense is on their heels she uses her push shots and roll shots to mix up her tendencies on offense. The ability to have the option to swing over and around or to create shots into specific spots on the court makes her a deadly weapon for her team's offense. While her hitting is something to watch out for, the other side might be just as worried about the block she's able to put up against their hitters. Her team does a great job rotating Amelia around the court from both the left and the right side of the court to face the opposing teams best pin hitter. Amelia does a great job of reading the court and using her eyes to set herself up in great position to block. Once she jumps she has the awareness to not only press hard over the net but to angle her hands or her positioning to mirror the hitter across from her. Amelia consistently showed her ability to stop or slow down the opposing offense while being an issue from the pin position on offense as well. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kelly Mcauley: USA 16 South Premier Purple (Class of 2025)</h2>   <p>Kelly was an impressive watch from start to finish. Playing alongside Aaliyah, Kelly helps carry a significant portion of the team's offense as well as excelling on the defensive end as well. Being a six-rotation outside is very impressive as it shows not only the plethora of skills she possesses but her ability to excel in each of those skills as well. The first skill I want to highlight is her hitting prowess, not only as a go-to hitter for her team but the level of consistency displayed on multiple types of shots and swings. She has the ability to contort and whip her body through the ball no matter where the set or block leads her to go. Kelly's footwork to approach the ball is impeccable, forcing the defense to have to defend both hard and soft shots no matter where the set is coming from. Although her hitting is impressive, her overall IQ for the game on both sides of the court surpasses most prospects I've been able to watch this club season. Kelly's IQ is most obvious with her hitting, but is still very apparent on the defensive side of the court both in the front and back row. When she's blocking, she uses her IQ to either pull off to play the ball or press hard over the net in front of the opposing hitter. In the back-row, she uses her reading ability to position herself in seams or in positions that hitters are most likely to exploit. Kelly has an all around game that is elite in a lot of facets which is rare for most hitters in this class, making her an elite prospect for colleges to look out for. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPbpO57YK5g </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brooke Forkum: JAX Skyline 16 Royal (Class of 2025)</h2>   <p>Brooke is an impressive prospect considering the lack of left-handed outside hitters with her size and skill to match. Most left-handed hitters are hitting almost exclusively on the right side, but with Brooke's skill set it's very apparent why she plays a position with so much responsibility. Brooke's game offensively consists of touch, IQ, and speed. Her touch is the most impressive that I've seen of the class so far. She tools the block consistently which shows me that she's very aware of her surroundings and understands the right amount of speed and spin the ball needs to force the ball into the block and out of bounds. When she decides not to tool, she has every shot available including a high line or a cut shot let alone the hitting range she has when being aggressive. Her hitting range on aggressive swings opens up the court for her as most defenses aren't able to emulate the skill and speed that Brooke plays with at practice. This forces defenses to be on their heels which would then open Brooke up to use her shots or tooling ability to her advantage. Her defense on the net is the icing on the cake. She uses her size and length on top of the IQ to be in great position. Once she's in the air she's watching the hitter and pressing hard over the net back into the court. Her imposing presence on the net on top of her skill set all around is why Brooke was a top standout for me from Regionals. </p>   <p><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2KwMXZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.hudl.com/v/2KwMXZ</a></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='539187' first='Julia' last='Schmidt']: Miami Hype 15N Josh (Class of 2026)</h2>   <p>The first thing you see with Julia is her size compared to her peers; but soon after you realize that she has all the relative skills needed at a young age to dominate the playing field. Standing at around 6'2" she has the length to get her feet to any type of set, giving her the ability to take a swing on any ball. Her favorite shot is her line shot. Julia does a great job using her core and rotation to drive the ball down the line. She does a great job keeping her contact high on her swings, forcing the defense to have to play hard-driven balls that may go over the top of their block. Although her power swings are impressive, she has the ability to mix it up and change speeds and locations without losing control. As you'd expect from someone with her height and length would be her prowess on the defensive side of the court blocking; but what impressed me was her ability to get to and get under balls in the back-row. Most girls at her size don't have the willingness or the flexibility to be able to stay balanced and get under the ball while putting out a good angle with her platform. When she is at the net on defense, the other team rarely goes to her side of the court. When they do, she does a good job of using her athleticism and size to reach high and over the net shutting down her opponents. Julia's overall game on both sides of the court was impressive to watch and has the necessary skills and assets to play at the highest level. </p>   <p><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Kw0CW" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.hudl.com/v/2Kw0CW</a></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='455056' first='Rylee' last='Tanner']: Team Kiwi 16 Graphite (Class of 2025)</h2>   <p>Rylee is an impressive all-around six-rotation outside hitter that uses her experience both indoors and on the beach to her advantage. Rylee's talent on the offensive end is the first thing you notice when watching her game. Even with the opposing side planning to shut her down, she takes what she is given to get the other team out-of-system or earning kills. She does this by changing up her shot locations and speeds while using her power to keep defenses on their heels. This combination of shots and power is lethal and effective because it keeps the defense guessing. Her beach experience plays a part in her hitting range as well as her vision. She does a great job recognizing the block and what the defense is playing behind it early in her approach so once she's in the air she can focus on her swing. One of the most impressive parts to Rylee's game is her consistency on serve-receive as a passer. She keeps her posture and has great footwork while staying balanced when approaching to pass the ball. Early in her passing process she creates and frames her shoulders and her platform to target so once the ball contacts her platform she's able to just hold through her finish. Her passing technique is reflected on the defensive side of the ball as well. When playing back-row defense, Rylee uses her passing technique to keep her team in-system and is willing to transition afterwards to be an option for her setter. Lastly, Rylee's serve is a weapon in itself in which she uses speed and location control to her advantage. With all of the skills that Rylee possesses, it's no surprise that she is the leading hitter for both her club and varsity programs. </p>   <p>My favorite part about watching the outside hitter position is not only their level of all-around skill but the amount of pressure these five put on themselves to help push their team to the next level. The competitiveness and the want to win are very apparent from each prospect as they relentlessly play the game with an aggressive mindset and attitude. Overall, these prospects are outstanding overall and I can't wait to see what comes next. </p>

In the past two parts of this series, we took a sneak peek into just a few of the top prospects in the specialty positions of setter and libero. In the last three parts of this series I will highlight just some of the plethora of talented hitter prospects from Florida. For this part I will be taking a deep dive into five of the best outside hitter prospects I saw from the last qualifier back at the end of April.