Erie Prospects Shine In First Match At Pitt State Camp

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head Coach Jen Gomez and the Pittsburg State University Volleyball staff and team are hosting a two-day team camp on July 13-14.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Dig was in attendance to scout two of the early matches in the first pool play session which consists of four three-team pools.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first match of the day (I scouted) was two-set victory by Erie over SEKCA-Pittsburg, a home-school-based team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Erie won the match 25-13, 25-14. Here is a report on four players I felt stood out during the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='304025' first='Ella' last='Burnett']</strong>, 6'2”, MB/OH, ‘24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was the third time I have seen Burnett play, and this was her most dominant performance. In a match against SEKCA, she finished with five kills and one ace. When she hits down on the ball, she can really make it sizzle. She is tall, long, and can jump. She always competes with a smile on her face and her passion for the game shows.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>Alex Pasquarelli</strong></strong> 5'11”, MH, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was really impressed with Pasquarelli's game. She is not quite as tall as Burnett, but she has a strong upper body and might have a quicker swing than Burnett. She finished with a match-high six kills against SEKCA. She can fill up a stat sheet as she also added four serve receptions, two digs, two blocks, and five aces. She has mean serve. It was my first time scouting the Erie senior, and after one match I would project her as an NAIA or JUCO talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mckenzie LaRue</strong>, 5'11”, S/RS, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A junior on Erie's squad I enjoyed watching was LaRue. She can play just about any position on the court. She is not as tall and physically opposing as her two teammates, but she arguably is the most athletic. She is a solid setter, but I like her better as a hitter. She finished with four kills, five serve receptions, three digs, and two aces. She needs to improve the accuracy of serves and she needs to develop a bit of a mean streak. She almost enjoys the game too much. If she develops a serious competitive focus, she will have a high ceiling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chloe McDonald</strong>, MH/RS, 5'11”, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McDonald posted a solid performance for SEKCA. She is athletic, but she is still a raw talent. She finished with one kill, one dig, one block, and two serve receptions in the loss to Erie. She can jump and communicates well on the floor. She needs more experience and increased confidence in her game to evolve into a college prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->