Sunshine Qualifier: 17 Open Outstanding Prospects

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sunshine state qualifier is one of the largest volleyball tournaments held in the Orange County Convention Center. In this article I wanted to highlight some of the top players competing in the 17 open division this past weekend. With top 5 finishes from OT 17 T Aaron and Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal and a top 9 finish from GP 17 Rox, Florida athletes went out there and represented our state well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lydia Chinchar: 2027 Outside Hitter (No Name 17 Sarah)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lydia is young for this level, however she has been playing multiple years up in age ever since I have been able to watch her play. She has played every position at some point whether it was just for a situational matchup or playing full matches. She has consistently shown her skill and build is ideal for most collegiate programs. Lydia has every type of swing angle or speed you could want, and has the IQ to understand when to use each type of swing. She also is proficient on the defensive end when it comes to reading the hitter. She's always in a good position to play the ball and yet has the discipline to still transition into a backrow attack. They use her all over the court whether it be the left, middle, or right side both in the frontrow and the backrow. She's a different type of prospect that will be very high on the rankings for the 2027 class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='455072' first='Larissa' last='Casatti']: 2025 Setter (Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As much as their starting setter [player_tooltip player_id='184108' first='Charlotte' last='Glass'] could easily be put in this spot, I thought this would be a great opportunity to shed light on another great setter on their roster. Larissa is the type of setter that hitters love to play with because her set is so easy to hit. One of the reasons for that is the quickness of her release and the consistency of her tempo and location. She understands the tempo that the ball needs to be even when she's moving through the set or has to go across the court from pin to pin. One of the things that really caught my eye was her defensive ability. She's very aggressive playing backrow defense and reads the court and hitter very well from the right back position. It's tough to shine on this team, but in the opportunities she's given she takes full advantage of it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='433980' first='Kayden' last='Green']: 2025 Setter/Opposite (GP 17 Rox)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kayden is one of the few players I have watched this year who has the ability to play at a high level at multiple positions. At the 17 open division it is rare to see a setter who's able to hit and block at the level that Kayden does. Kayden as a setter is a strong and aggressive who's not scared of going against the flow. It will get her into trouble sometimes, but when she stays disciplined with her form she's able to put really great sets up. She has a quick release from a high contact point and is smart enough to make the adjustments. Kayden as a hitter really impressed me from her range to swing with power. One of the first swings I saw her execute was a quick back set to the pin and she demolished that ball just outside of the off-blocker's shoulder. She's the ultimate competitor as well as a massive asset to her team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='455066' first='Hannah' last='Hankerson']: 2025 Outside Hitter/DS (OT 17 T Aaron)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hannah is one of the most impressive athletes I have been able to watch being able to coach club in the Tampa area. She's had all of the skills even from a little kid and is still growing and producing. It helps when her vertical is actually absurd and her core strength is unmatched. No matter her size, she's able to execute and produce at a high level. She has every shot in the book and with time has increased her vision and IQ as a hitter. When she has an open space she's going to put the ball down, whereas with a closed block she's smart enough to hit and shot around it. The thing that makes Hannah one of the best outside hitters in the state is because of her ability to pass in serve receive and defend in the backrow like a libero. No matter what position she plays at the next level she's going to be successful and an asset for any collegiate program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='455043' first='Sofia' last='King']: 2025 Setter (USA South 17 Premier Purple)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sofia is an interesting setter prospect who has the height, length, and skill that most college coaches are looking for. She has the strength to push the ball from pin to pin and the speed to get her hands on passes 10-15 feet off the net. Her contact point is nice and high, quick release of the ball, and does a great job with her finish to spot. Her setting still has work to do when it comes to her rhythm and her ability to create openings for her hitters, but always puts up a nice and hittable ball for her hitters. When you look at the other aspects of Sofia's game the first thing I look at is her willingness and aggressiveness defensively. She's able to dig the ball outside of her "area" on hard driven balls and trust her libero and pins to create opportunities out of system. Sofia is going to be a great prospect for younger players to watch because of the intangibles she brings to her team with the level of skill and effort that's needed from a setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sunshine state qualifier is one of my favorite tournaments to coach at, but also one of the top recruiting spots for top college programs. These 5 athletes were able to standout as key pieces to their teams and give college scouts a show. I'm excited to see that Florida is producing some fantastic prospects at all levels and age groups. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->