Great Athletes from a Southern Playoff Battle
Below are five athletes highlighted from a recent CIF match: Rafaela Alvizuri | 5’10” | 2024 | OH | Mount Carmel High SchoolWhen a player engages in a net battle with a blocker, she must sometimes be deceptive and the…
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Continue ReadingBelow are five athletes highlighted from a recent CIF match:
Rafaela Alvizuri | 5’10” | 2024 | OH | Mount Carmel High School
When a player engages in a net battle with a blocker, she must sometimes be deceptive and the armswing of Rafaela Alvizuri is often that. Her natural approach and armswing allow for the set to float past the right side of her body. This slight delay makes for a point scoring line shot from the left antenna and a cross court shot from the right antenna. Additionally, she controls a serve that nearly hits ground level very well. This Alvizuri sister has control to her game that makes for a reliable outcome.
Cataline Alvizuri | 5’11” | 2026 | MB | Mount Carmel High School
Cataline Alvizuri is the younger sister of these two and gets off the ground quick. Specifically, she takes an approach, then, like bouncing on a pogo stick, she hops up. When hitting a slide she waits to see what is open. Additionally, when hitting in the middle she can power through an opposing middle blocker. This Alvizuri hitter usually hits straight ahead or to left back. It is impressive because those are often the two most challenging opponents defensively, a middle blocker or libero.
Reese Maffitt | 2025 | MB | Mission Vista High School
When Reese Maffitt scores a point she calmly looks to her teammates who cheer her on. This locked in mentality can catapult an offense when needed most. She has an excellent offspeed game that is full of a complement of attack variations. Specifically, she is very proficient at tipping short or driving a ball deep to the corner. Maffitt has a good grasp of taking an effective swing. She touches a height of the second white on the antenna.
MeganJo Martin | 5’9″ | 2024 | S | Mission Vista High School
An athletic setter, like MeganJo Martin, can sometimes look like her moving around is her having fun. The quickness of getting to where a perfect pass would be and the ability to chase down a ball leads to more graceful movement like skipping and hopping into the set. She is agile. Additionally, she is assertive at the net by turning and blocking or getting to where the ball will be before it gets there. When she cheers she shares a lot of energy and even squats all the way to the floor to spring up with excitement.
Claire Liepa | 2025 | OH | Mission Vista High School
With a long approach, Claire Liepa sets herself up to leap into many of the sets she hits. It all starts with a split step and then, as the saying goes, off to the races. Her arm gets back enough to create a big, wide hitting window. Next, she crunches her abs and uses her core strength to power a ball to the floor. When Liepa gets a point she walks it off with an emphasis on confidence that she will continue that point scoring over and again.