Sunshine Qualifier 15 Open: Top 4 Outside Hitters
The sunshine qualifier held this past weekend in Orlando hosted a plethora of talent from clubs across the state. I’m going to take a dive into some of the upcoming class of 2027 prospects. The position that impressed me the…
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Continue ReadingThe sunshine qualifier held this past weekend in Orlando hosted a plethora of talent from clubs across the state. I’m going to take a dive into some of the upcoming class of 2027 prospects. The position that impressed me the most were the outside hitter position. They were able to display a wide variety of skills and assets that I think are important when recruiting at the collegiate level. Each of the four players bring their own type of style and attributes to their respective teams.
Sophia Puleo – OT 15 T Randy
Sophia has been a force ever since I was able to coach her 5 years ago. She’s always had power behind her swing, but watching her now truly shows the amount of work she has put into her game. She went from playing middle in her early club years to now where she’s a 6 rotation outside hitter for one of the top teams in the state. Sophia has really developed the aspects to her game that aren’t attributed to her athleticism and size but are focused on ball control and technical adjustments. When you take a look at Sophia as a hitter she’s the type of hitter that blockers regret blocking her and passers hate digging her ball. What makes opposing defenses even more frustrated than how hard she hits it’s her ability to take some speed off and hits the ball exactly where she wants. Sophia still has so much room to grow as a player and I can’t wait to see her game in a few years.
Isabel Incinelli – WPVC 15 Armour Black
Isabel is an intimidating player for her age group if you were to just look at her height and length. The scarier part is that she has the skills and athleticism to take advantage of the gifts that she’s privy to. Her team will set Isabel anytime they can whether it’s the left, middle, or right side. My favorite part of Isabel’s game is her ability to use her height and length to drive the ball over the block into open holes in the defense. To have that skill and discipline at such a young age it’s impressive to watch. She has all of the shots if the opposing team does a good job of putting a good block in front. Isabel is also able to take advantage of seams or single blocks as if they weren’t even there. Although her offense is impressive, the one thing that really impresses me is her willingness to play back-row defense and be an asset for their team on serve receive as well. Isabel really has the whole package and so much potential to unlock.
Ella Gravlee – Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal
Ella is a powerful hitter who will take every opportunity to blow up a defender or make a dent in the court. She’s another interesting pospect like Sophia who has the ability to do both. She’s an exceptional decision maker on hitting choices both in the type of shot or swing she’ll use or the location of where she wants to hit. She uses the block, goes around it, or finds a seam through it consistently and rarely will let the opposing team stay in system off of her swing. The level of IQ that Ella shows for her age is elite. When you flip to the defensive and receiving aspects of the game she’s able to perform at a high level there as well. Defensively she’s able to read hitters early and it seems like the ball always goes right to her. In serve receive she’s strong enough to step up and use her hands but technically sound enough to pass with her platform. Ella is the prototypical outside hitter that college coaches can shape to fit their offenses or even use her as the main piece.
Amelia Snider – OT 15 T Randy
I’ve been able to watch Amelia grow into one of the smartest players you will find not only in her class but across the entire state of Florida. I’ve been able to coach against her for her early years in the game and she’s consistently playing on older teams while also playing at the highest level tournaments. She’s always relaxed at the biggest moments that most players her age would shy away from. Amelia brings the ball control, IQ, and the versatility to play any position or hit any type of set. When you watch Amelia play it’s not flashy but she’s dynamic in her decision making and the ability to execute. Amelia makes high IQ plays no matter what she needs to do to help her team win just like she was able to see her sister do at Florida State this past season. Amelia has all of the tools that you could want from a prospect and has the potential to grow into a dominant player no matter the level of play.
The 15 Open division and the class of 2027 as a whole is going to be intriguing to watch over the next few years. There is so much talent in Florida and these four are only a few of the players from the Sunshine Qualifier that I could’ve chose from. When you take a look at the class as a whole it looks to be another strong class for Florida players.