USA Jr Nationals Pre-Tourney Showcase Players to Watch Vol 2
We are a month and a half away from the culmination of the club season…USA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June and early July. Prep Dig has once again renewed our partnership with…
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Continue ReadingWe are a month and a half away from the culmination of the club season…USA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June and early July. Prep Dig has once again renewed our partnership with USA Volleyball to run the Pre-Tournament Showcase the day before the tourney starts. It will be held at the McCormick Place Convention Center where the tourney is being held. We are going to be previewing some of the players who have signed up to participate. The one aspect that sets our showcases apart from every other one in the country is how we offer coverage, before, during, and after it is completed. Without further ado, here are a few players who you should be watching at the showcase.
Izabella Cano Izabella Cano 5'6" | DS/L Sharyland Pioneer | 2027 State TX [2027] 5-6 Libero (HS: Sharyland Pioneer/Club: McAllen Fierce/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Izabella is currently an unranked prospect in the 2027 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but that is only because we have not released them yet. She plays volleyball at Sharyland Pioneer School and also plays club for McAllen Fierce. Miss Cano is no stranger to being in the spotlight as she has already been part of a winning program by winning two national championships last year. This season she is stronger and more dedicated to playing at a high level. We are super excited to have her in our showcase due to things we have seen from her on film. This young lady is not scared of playing against older competition and we will definitely see that in our competitive drills. While everyone will remark about her ability to extend her range defensively, I have seen two other aspects, which I think are going to propel her to the next level ahead of everyone in her grad class. Most players will raise their posture/stand up when a high ball is coming at their head. When the player raises their posture like that, the ball will not travel far toward their target during the rebound. Miss Cano is well beyond her years and has been trained will to keep her posture while moving her feet back to still pass with her platform. Not many younger players do this and it is telling about her “coachability”. The other aspect that I see is how balanced she is during contact of a hard driven ball. Her platform doesn’t move much as the ball is rebounded. I am very excited to see her in action at the showcase and we think you should be watching closely also.
Kaila Baker [2024] 5-6 Libero (HS: Paint Branch/Club: Maryland Juniors/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Kaila is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays volleyball at Paint Branch High School and club for the Maryland Juniors program. Every coach wants a libero who can use their platform to deliver balls where they need to go on a consistent basis. Most volleyball spectators do not realize how important footwork is to the position. Miss Baker sure does know how important fast and solid footwork is as she is a stud with her lower body. Watching her move on the court is like watching one of those old cartoons where the person’s feet look like they are burning rubber like a racecar. This young lady can cover ground so fast and be in the perfect spot to play the ball with her afterburners in go mode. While she excels on the defensive end, she is also a stud at setting the second ball when the setter digs the first. Her out of system setting is always on point and she puts the hitter in a position to score e every single time. She has hands like a setter and total ball control with them. Stay tuned to more on Kaila as she attends the showcase.
Jordyn Palazzo [2025] 5-11 Outside (HS: Watkins Mill/Club: MVSA/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Jordyn is currently an unranked prospect in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays volleyball at Watkins Mill High School and club for MVSA out of the Chesapeake Region. Miss Palazzo is a lengthy pin attacker who can light up the scoreboard and stat book in a hurry. She has a very high contact point during her approach and that makes it difficult for opposing blockers to time her attack. She is a very skilled scorer who can terminate hard cross or down the line if need be. Her ability to turn on the ball in mid-air is something that will keep her relevant as a kill leader for any team she plays on. I am very intrigued by her raw natural power that she possesses in her strong right arm and cannot wait to have her on one of our courts in the showcase. It will be great to see her compete against the best players in the showcase. We encourage you to add her name to your short list of athletes to watch at nationals as we think she has a high ceiling to keep improving in her craft.
Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes that will be attending the showcase. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at Michael@prepdig.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!