Players That Shine During a Competitive Match

Andy Cole

September 16, 2023 @ 04:13 PM

Below are five athletes to watch from a recent CIF Southern Section match:   Rakshana Sasikumar | 5'7" | 2024 | OPP | Irvine High School The length, specifically high reach, of Rakshana Sasikumar causes fits for opponents. When she gathers her energy starting from her lucid approach, she is a tough hitter to time a block, Additionally, Sasikumar gets far off the net. This distance enables her to hit off balance and hit nearly any set. As she charges in to hit, she has excellent use of her arms. All of the space she uses and difficulty she causes opponents really makes her teammates look to her. She is definitely a natural leader through her play on the court.   London Nettles | 6'2" | MB | Irvine High School London Nettles is productive on both defense and offense. When blocking, she touches a height of the second white on the antenna. While she gets great height, she also expands her shoulders and hands to block off a lot of area on her team's side of the net. When on offense, she shuts the metaphorical door on a ball very quickly. Nettles almost settles into the net on her approach and then whap the ball is on the opponent. Her attacks are usually just outside the reach of defenders as she hits a variety of front row playset options.   Taylor Tran | 5'9" | OH | Irvine High School Taylor Tran is somewhat like her teammate, Sasikumar, mentioned previously. Their similarity lies in the length of the approach that they take. One difference is that Tran has really great patience before hitting. Specifically, she loads her legs and breaks out at seemingly the last possibly second to start her approach. At the top of her approach, her hits either skim or go over the top of the block. Additionally, her pass to attack footwork is really great. This discipline sets her up for a leadership position where teammates will follow her example.   [player_tooltip player_id='536150' first='Camryn' last='Hayek'] | 5'10" | 2024 | OH | Beckman Academy When looking for a high power missile of an attack, look for further than [player_tooltip player_id='536150' first='Camryn' last='Hayek']. She is a big point scoring option for any team she plays on, especially the Patriots. Hayek has an armswing that is flexible enough to hit a thumb down ball that reaches rarely found sharp angles of the court. When she jumps, it often appears as she is gliding through the air. This adaptable player appears to be fun to play. Many of her own teammates are likely amazed by her ability.   Deeya Bhalodia | 5'7" | 2024 | OH | Beckman Academy The game of Deeya Bhalodia is one of balance between backcourt digging and front court hitting. When on defense or passing, she has a subtle action of using her legs to push the ball up to target. As much as she can use her legs, Bhalodia also handles a deep hit up on her shoulders very well. This continuous effort is certainly a motivating attribute that her teammates look to her for. She moves fast and changes directions even faster.

Below are five athletes to watch from a recent CIF Southern Section match: