SLC Showcase: Top Performing Sophomores

<p>I had the honor of being invited to watch these fantastic athletes participate in the Salt Lake City showcase this weekend. There were so many great athletes at this event that I will probably be writing about them for the next week to cover all of them. Let's begin with the top-performing sophomores that I saw at this event.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='530914' first='Erin' last='Federigan']</h2>   <p>Federigan is a 5'4" DS/L from Silver Creek High School's class of 2026 in California. Federigan has a nasty serve. It is a laser and it looks like it hurts when it is received...if it is received. She had a lot of ace serves. She is very athletic and fast. She gets low to the ground with ease and looks to be very well-conditioned. She does not appear to tire. She is an excellent back-row player and has a great platform. Her skills are on point and she can only get better the more she plays in the next couple of years of high school and in college. She will be an excellent athlete at the next level. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/IMG_3568.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-529377" style="width:230px;height:auto" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='501118' first='Adriana' last='Dorn']</h2>   <p>Dorn is a 6' sophomore setter from Ripon, California. She has great hands, knows what her hitters need from her, and can deliver with strength and diversity. She is truly an asset on the court to whatever team she is playing with. She works well with others and has a high volleyball IQ. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kiary Tapia Martinez</h2>   <p>Tapia Martinez is 5'4" sophomore setter from Rampart High School in Colorado. She is quick and moves the ball with skill and design. She moves quietly and quickly to put plays in motion. At times, that seemed to throw off her opponents almost like they lost sight of her from across the net. She has soft hands, can set multiple hitters during the same set, and keeps good track of what they like to see from their setter. She is a smart athlete and runs a good offense. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Emma Krogh</h2>   <p>Krogh is a 5'10" setter from Kamiah High School in Idaho. She has a soft touch and moves the ball around well. She is constantly moving and making an impact when she touches the ball. She has a great platform and knows which hitters are ready and able to get a kill. She is a smart and impactful athlete.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kendyl Shook</h2>   <p>Shook is a 5'4" DS/L from Banks High School in Oregon. Shook was making diving saves and helping her team rally at the showcase. She is quick, athletic, and did not seem to mind sacrificing her body to make a save and send it back to her setter. She has a great platform, good court vision, and awareness of where her teammates are, which helps her make the plays. She is only a sophomore and will only improve and impress over the time she develops at this level.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mia Groom</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignright has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/IMG_3543.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-529402" /></figure> </figure>   <p>Groom is a 5'10" middle blocker from Immaculata La Salle in Florida. Groom is a great jumper. She has hands built for blocking or hitting. She can put the ball right past the other team's defenders by blasting the ball fast down the middle or to the line. She is a smart athlete which is reflected in the classroom as well as on the court and was a joy to watch at the showcase. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Keira Limbrick</h2>   <p>Limbrick is a 5'5" DS/L from Union in Washington. Wow! Limbrick is very impressive. She has a killer serve, like a bullet to the back line. If an opponent is wondering if it is going to be in or out, if Limbrick is serving that ball, better play that ball because 99% of the time it is in. She is where she needs to be every time too. Dependability is so important in a DS/L, and this athlete has that in spades. Great platform, to the setter, and in the right place at the right time. Great athlete! </p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/IMG_3545.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-529400" style="width:349px;height:auto" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kylee Wick</h2>   <p>Wick is a 5'11" middle hitter from North Valley Christian Academy in Arizona. She is long, lean, and athletic. She is a true competitor on the court. She is an impressive hitter in the middle and played well during serve/receive. She can dig, block, and hit with the best of them. She is quick on her feet and gets to almost every ball during drills. She looks like an impressive athlete who will only get better with time and experience as she grows. </p>

I had the honor of being invited to watch these fantastic athletes participate in the Salt Lake City showcase this weekend. There were so many great athletes at this event that I will probably be writing about them for the next week to cover all of them. Let's begin with the top-performing sophomores that I saw at this event.