Triple Crown NIT Roundtable – Coach Mike DZs Version Vol 3

<!-- 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;I will be covering this tournament for Texas, Oklahoma, and California.&nbsp; There are tons of players and teams to watch out for. Let's “Dig” in to find out who they are.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>15s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What TX Power Pool Teams Will Be Contending For a Championship On Day Three?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Texas has some serious talent in the 15's age group.&nbsp; Last year's USA Open national champion [program_tooltip program_id='431308' first='Texas' last='Advantage'] will have all of the power five conference division one head coaches on their court to see what all the fuss is about.&nbsp; These young ladies are large and in charge.&nbsp; Although they are fifteen years old and are prone to mistakes like all other fifteen year olds across the country, this squad has a few players who are good enough right now to play against 18 open level teams.&nbsp; The two setters on TAV 15 Jason are making it very difficult for me to select who is number one and who is number two in the setting position for our State Rankings that will be released in a few weeks.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='534307' first='Sophee' last='Peterson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='532413' first='Brynn' last='Stephens'] are legit.&nbsp; They have every aspect that you would want in a setter right now.&nbsp; They are very equipped with hands that are perfect mirror images of each other, strength that can push the ball to the pins from far away, and sophisticated footwork that allows them to track any pass.&nbsp; Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='534291' first='Gentry' last='Barker'] might be the best player in the country in her age group and it would be very hard to find another player at her level.&nbsp; She is a legit threat to score at any given time if given the ball.&nbsp; Middles [player_tooltip player_id='534300' first='Nyla' last='Livings'] and Onita Davis can battle well at the net.&nbsp; They are both high flying big targets for their setters to feed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dallas Skyline 15 Royal is a team that can scare anyone they go up against.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='412438' first='Dakota' last='Huynh'] might be one of the best liberos in the gym amongst all of the age group this weekend.&nbsp; I will be watching very closely to see who can match up with her skill set.&nbsp; She is the main catalyst to an amazing defense and solid serve receive passing for Skyline.&nbsp; Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='433665' first='Ryan' last='Spencer'] is a lengthy attacker who can bang with anyone in this age group.&nbsp; She gets very high above the net to put the ball down and scores to many different zones with ease due to some solid hand contact.&nbsp; Right side [player_tooltip player_id='512902' first='Jordan' last='Flodder'] is a very tall player who most college coaches will be watching very closely.&nbsp; You cannot teach height and she has a lot of it.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='413355' first='Camryn' last='Penn'] is extremely skilled with awesome setting mechanics that take tons of reps to perfect.&nbsp; You can tell that she has been coached well and listens because her technique is picture perfect.&nbsp; This team has some awesome stars that we will be writing about in future articles for sure.&nbsp; Stay tuned to see how they fare.&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>Excel 15 National Red is a team that could easily win their opening pool and have a great shot at making it to the Elite bracket.&nbsp; They have some players who have high-level talent in key positions. &nbsp;Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='430133' first='Natalie' last='Norton'] plays in six rotations and is one of their top scoring options.&nbsp; They will go as far as her play will take them.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='433661' first='Olivia' last='Herron'] is a huge offensive weapon for this awesome squad.&nbsp; She adds a lot of length and power at the net for this team on the pins.&nbsp; I think she will have a great tournament and will make a name for herself.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='506024' first='Charlotte' last='Cavin'] can run a nice passed offense and knows exactly how to spread the ball around to everyone to create some one on one situations.&nbsp; Excel has proven themselves on the court this season and I think they are set up well to go on a nice run.&nbsp; Look for them to be in the running on day three.&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>[player_tooltip player_id='534328' first='Vanessa' last='Glenn'], Audrey Hughes, and [player_tooltip player_id='443042' first='Siena' last='Ebert'] are three names that will have a huge impact for [program_tooltip program_id='431200' first='Madfrog' last=''] 15 National Green.&nbsp; Audrey is a solid scoring option and can bring the heat.&nbsp; Vanessa is a true leader who has solid ball control.&nbsp;&nbsp; Siena has a long frame for a libero and it translates into defensive range for days.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='534384' first='Jordan' last='Morrow'] is a hard hitting left side for [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] 15 Royal.&nbsp; Her impact will be felt for sure.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='534319' first='Aspen' last='Brown'] will help [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] spread the attack very well from pin to pin.&nbsp; Right side [player_tooltip player_id='433627' first='Cara' last='Marshall'] and middle [player_tooltip player_id='534412' first='Kharley' last='Smith'] are two impact players who deserves tons of looks from college recruiters.&nbsp; They are both hard hitting and super strong at the net.&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 -->