Freshman Setters from DMV Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Setting the offensive stage is a challenge in any match, but these setters look up to the task. These athletes are already on their way to being the leaders on their high school or club teams. Let's look at their skills and what makes them special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='521323' first='Ilana' last='Collingham']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Collingham is a 5'4" setter from South Lakes High School in Virginia. I found Collingham impressive based on her communication and performance with multiple hitters at the showcase. She was talking and appeared to figure out what and how the hitters liked to be set and they all performed the better for it. This athlete makes a team perform better and that is saying a lot for this position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587035' first='Maggie' last='Race']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Race is a 5'7" setter from Massapomax High School in Virginia. Race displayed immense confidence on the court and looked ready to take on the world at the showcase. She has great hands, a soft touch, and good range. She could really move the ball around and appeared to perform well with multiple hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584848,"width":"155px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4714.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584848" style="width:155px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ellie Ayala, a setter from Savannah Arts Academy in Georgia, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ellie Ayala</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ayala is a 5'8" setter from Savannah Arts Academy in Georgia. Ayala is a great athlete. She is very patient on the court and her sets are just beautiful. She has great height and a wonderful arc to her sets for her hitters. There is always a ton of room and time for her hitters to position themselves for success. She moves around the court easily and sends the ball to her hitters anywhere on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='625574' first='Ashley' last='Nguyen']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nguyen is a 5'5" setter from Reservoirs High School. Nguyen is athletic and fast. She is quick to move the ball around and is effective on the court. She digs well and has a good platform. She appears to have a high volleyball IQ and is a credit to the team she is playing with at the showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584847,"width":"161px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4715.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584847" style="width:161px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='536724' first='Ariel' last='Callwood'], a setter from Sherwood High School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='536724' first='Ariel' last='Callwood'] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Callwood is a 5'6" setter from Sherwood High School. Callwood is a really good setter. She is very mobile and can adjust to different circumstances as they present themselves in a match. She can set all different types of hitters, tall hitters, shorter hitters, back row hitters, and hitters behind her. She has soft hands and excellent range. Her ability to understand the changing circumstances of her court and team is a big plus in my opinion. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='586523' first='Victoria' last='Hobson'] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hobson is a 5'3" setter from South County High School in Virginia. Hobson was great at moving the ball around to many different hitters available to her on the court. She utilized all of her hitting options on the court and did all of it well. She is an effective leader and organizes her hitters very well. She is an impact player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584843,"width":"162px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4719.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584843" style="width:162px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='536729' first='Katelyn' last='Rolph'], a setter from Bullis High School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='536729' first='Katelyn' last='Rolph']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rolph is a 6' setter from Bullis High School in Virginia. Rolph has huge hands and that increases her ability to handle the ball well. She has great range and can set hitters far away with ease. Rolph is also an excellent hitter and while I watched her she put one down from the right side with strength and power. She is a versatile athlete and has many different uses on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587030' first='Faith' last='Smith']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith is a 5'9" setter from Colgan High School in Virginia. Smith played very well at the showcase this past weekend. She is so consistent and has a huge volleyball IQ. She was making smart choices and gaining points for her team with the organization of her offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->