Top 250 Expo: Capturing Performances
In this article:
On Sunday there were a lot of high-level prospects from all prep classes attending the Prep Dig Minnesota Top 250 Expo. I wanted to talk about how trying to see all 40-90 players in a matter of 2 hours is…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOn Sunday there were a lot of high-level prospects from all prep classes attending the Prep Dig Minnesota Top 250 Expo. I wanted to talk about how trying to see all 40-90 players in a matter of 2 hours is a challenge. You see, I get a snapshot and some manage to play their best when I’m focused on their court, or in most cases, they are really gifted. This isn’t to say those I don’t mention aren’t talented, but I may not have gotten a good look on Sunday. Thank goodness we have BallerTV to go back to. So, these players caught my attention during the event on Sunday.
2024s
This Minnesota prospect is a competitive libero. She was making some really athletic moves on the court as she smoothly took over the back court. Behl’s has great court vision.
Benton is a solid first contact whether it is in serve receive or defense. She isn’t super flashy and I love that because it means she is reading the play and doesn’t need to make a big grand gesture to get to a ball. Benton is consistent and takes care of all the routine stuff.
Highlights
Keogh has nice clean hands and quick movement off the net to the ball. She was doing some great jump setting with good accuracy. Keogh showed her ability to run an offense even with players she’s just met.
Highlights
Schuele first caught my attention during warm-up when she made a great defensive play on a ball. Then I was surprised to see she was a setter. I was not surprised to see she was strong and moved the ball from pin to pin quickly and efficiently.
Highlights
2025s
Acker caught my attention during warm-ups when she was taking swings from either pin. She was strong and confident in her movement and her actions. Acker came across as a showcase seasoned pro.
Arntson was doing some really nice things during the middle positional but when she really stood out is during the game play. She was a menace at the net and blocking attackers left and right. Then she retaliated by really getting ahold of a ball and her team exploded with excitement for her. (I love those moments).
I remember seeing Avery take some great adjustment footwork to get to the ball when the set would die inside, or coming from an out of system play. And when Avery took a swing there was just a different sound to the ball. She is explosive and has technique that helps her pick her spot on the court.
Charon has good movement to the ball whether it is in system or not. She puts up a great high ball for her pins to terminate. Charon exhibits athleticism and she is fast to the 2nd ball.
Fuse has soft hands with a clean release on the ball. As a setter we stress about hands a lot but I always look for good footwork as a sign of a good setter and Fuse showed sound footwork. She demonstrated a lot of adaptability as well having to work with different passers and hitters that were changing regularly.
Gudknecht has such a high reach and it gives her a contact point on the ball well above most opposing blockers. Her attack was a true test to every defender that stepped up across the net. Gudknecht stood out with her competitiveness when we got into game play.