Minnesota Slam: Pins with Panache
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The Prep Dig Minnesota Slam continued the growth of Prep Dig Tournaments in the Midwest. The National Volleyball Center in Rochester was buzzin’ and with 5 age groups, there was plenty of volleyball to watch. Here are some of the…
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Continue ReadingThe Prep Dig Minnesota Slam continued the growth of Prep Dig Tournaments in the Midwest. The National Volleyball Center in Rochester was buzzin’ and with 5 age groups, there was plenty of volleyball to watch. Here are some of the pin hitters that caught our attention.
Krueger was an immediate impact player in the Gold Bracket. She made smart shots and took the ball down the line just when you thought she might be trapped with a big block in front of her. It doesn’t matter where she is swinging from on the net she is manufacturing kills. On the right side she cuts it back across the court to catch the setter off guard. She kicks apart the opposing defense with a number of different shots.
Haus is a dynamic attacker for Kandi Elite ‘s 18’s team. She has a wicked lefty swing and she isn’t afraid to tool a block for a point. I love the fact that she is swinging from the back row as well providing her setter another option on offense. One of my favorite plays was when Haus took an attack in front of the setter and froze the opposing defense in their tracks.
Gentele is new to me but she did a great job speeding up her armswing on a dying tight ball to sneak it between the block and the net. She does a great job elevating and can take a swing over the block if needed. I love her fast armswing to catch the block before they’ve had a chance to fully press.
Highlights
Ongna was playing some really good heads up volleyball. I like her power alley swing as well as the monstrous block she presents. When she is off the net she finds the deep corners for a big point. Ongna was showing off her defensive moves as she dug some hard line swings in their gold pool matches.
Pfannerstill did a great job showing off a plethora of tools in her attacking arsenal. She was pounding the power alley, going high hands for the deep cross court and hanging just a little longer to expose panicked defenders down the line. Pfannerstill makes smart plays over the block.
Wunderlich was taking some really monster swings on the outside. I really like her high contact point and fast armswing. She owns the deep cross corner and can swing over a lot of blockers.
Buchmann was pulling out all the stops in their championship match. She was using a mix of her attack options to keep the opposing team guessing. Buchmann was also setting a huge block for Wisconsin Ice and creating a ton of issues for opposing attackers.
Highlights
Peterson came alive on championship Sunday and in few different positions. We saw her terminating the ball from both pins and out of the middle. She also just has a natural nose for the ball and makes roofing the opposing team look simple.
Highlights
Megan Brendel
Megan Brendel
Brendel is fearless when she attacks the ball. She plays really scrappy and relentless off blocker defense and she won’t waste time to transition and be an offensive option. I like her energy and how she appears to be trying to strategize with teammates to get the next point.
Sydney Kracht
Sydney Kracht
Kracht is a lefty that I saw working really hard to make herself an option to attack in the front row and the back row. She surprised me at first but came through with some big plays that got her team really hyped. Kracht crushed a few balls and clearly has some real athleticism and a number of shots.