Triple Crown NIT Roundtable – Coach Mike DZ’s Version Vol 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof.&nbsp; It will be held in Kansas City, MO on February 17-19^th.&nbsp; Prep Dig California has three scouts who will be covering the tourney.&nbsp; I will be joining Shannique Soliatia and Michelle Bamford at the tourney and we will each be offering our perspective on teams and players to watch out for during the weekend.&nbsp; Let's “Dig” in to my take.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Cali Power Pool Teams Will Be Contending For a Championship On Day Three?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some amazing teams in action this year and after watching this age group very closely in all of the large national tournaments last season, I am very intrigued to see them compete at a high level again during this wonderful event.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WAVE 16 Scott has a big reason to say that they will be in the running.&nbsp; Her name is [player_tooltip player_id='391079' first='Finley' last='Krystkowiak'].&nbsp; The talented outside hitter is one of the best in the business and she let all of Texas know about it a few weeks back in the Tour of Texas stop number one tourney where her team tied for 1^st place.&nbsp; She is not the only weapon on this tough defensive minded squad.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='391081' first='Presley' last='Thompson'] is all over the court in the back row and uses every part of her body to keep the ball alive.&nbsp; She has some of the best emergency techniques from a libero that I have seen in a while.&nbsp; Mix that along with her never say die attitude and it is a recipe for some awesome defense.&nbsp; Setters [player_tooltip player_id='227273' first='Soraya' last='Dennis'] and Catherine Beadles can thread the needle with the ball to all locations.&nbsp; They are both extremely fast on the court and are hungry to rally.&nbsp; Pin [player_tooltip player_id='712163' first='Sophia' last='Johnson'] can tool anyone with a very heavy swing.&nbsp; Blockers this weekend should be very aware of her off the hands shot making.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='434845' first='Abigail' last='Lesagonicz'] and Kylee Wilson are both awesome attackers along the net for this wonderful squad.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>SCVC 16 Roxy is on a mission so far this season and bring a ton of studs with them to KC.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='391077' first='Audrey' last='Flanagan'] is listed as the second best player in her grad class for a very good reason and she will let every spectator in the gym know it with every contact.&nbsp; The six-two beast can drop some serious bombs on opponents from everywhere on the court.&nbsp; Six foot one setter [player_tooltip player_id='391092' first='Milly' last='McGee'] has every college coach drooling with her frame and skill set.&nbsp; Her jump set can fool anyone and cause opposing middles to jump with her and be late to close their blocks.&nbsp; Middle [player_tooltip player_id='391083' first='Taylor' last='Boice'] has incredible power in every route she runs.&nbsp; Be prepared when you block her because she will bring down the hammer with authority.&nbsp; Left side attacker [player_tooltip player_id='391084' first='Samantha' last='Destler'] is a problem for any team to deal with as she can score with the best of them.&nbsp; She is second fiddle to no one and is a threat to kill the ball from all locations in system or out of system.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='510530' first='Kaitlyn' last='Herweg'] can flat our pass/dig the ball.&nbsp; This ball control floor general is fast and furious all over the court.&nbsp; This squad is primed and ready to compete for a title.&nbsp; They will be a tough out for anyone.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Non-Power Pool Teams Could Sneak Up On People?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sunshine 16 LA could shake up the power pool teams when they come out on top of Pool E on Saturday.&nbsp; They are led by stud players like setter Jordyn Scannel who can play defense like a libero and deliver balls all over the court with precision.&nbsp; Middle [player_tooltip player_id='391118' first='Lauryn' last='Lewis'] plays very high above the net.&nbsp; She can sky and makes it very difficult for hitters to have an easy look at a score.&nbsp; Call her a blocking machine because that is exactly what will happen in every match.&nbsp; Right side [player_tooltip player_id='772628' first='Kapri' last='Garnett'] is a six footer who spreads out the attack for this awesome team.&nbsp; I love how she uses her height and still contacts the ball at the peak of her reach.&nbsp; This makes it very difficult for blockers to time it correctly.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='389259' first='Mia' last='Stewart'] is a solid second option on the left side who knows how to score in a variety of ways.&nbsp; She also has a very lethal serve that is stifling.&nbsp; This team plays well together and can be very scary to anyone that matches up against them.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who are the big time players who will be having a huge impact on the tournament?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vision 16 Gold has a golden player who will have a huge impact for her team.&nbsp; Her name is [player_tooltip player_id='478925' first='Leyna' last='Nguyen'] and if you do not know her by now, trust me….you will by the end of the tourney.&nbsp; While she might be on the smaller size in height, she can jump out of the gym and unloads a cannon on anyone who doubts her ability.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='482022' first='Elle' last='Vandeweghe'] is a monster at the net.&nbsp; She is one of the toughest middles that you will see in the tourney.&nbsp; Her physicality will overwhelm most middles that she goes up against.&nbsp; Outside [player_tooltip player_id='391353' first='Brynn' last='Minter'] can do it all for her Mizuno Long Beach squad.&nbsp; She will have a say so in how far they go in the tourney.&nbsp; It doesn't matter whether she is swinging from the left or the right side as she is lethal from both pins.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->