Stock Up Showcase Liberos/Setters Who Made an Impression

The showcase runs for two hours. That translates to 120 minutes. There were close to 80 players showing off their skills on the volleyball court. That means in a short window of a little over one minute a player has an opportunity to perform. Reminds me of the adage "they never told you it would be easy".   Not everyone can be a top performer. But the exposure you get from the event could make that happen in the future. Five of our top performers this year, [player_tooltip player_id='491007' first='Ana' last='Djordjevic'], [player_tooltip player_id='490057' first='Avery' last='Lefman'], [player_tooltip player_id='448705' first='Danika' last='Swanson'], [player_tooltip player_id='475397' first='Amaya' last='Bowles'] and [player_tooltip player_id='390338' first='Rachel' last='Fagin'] did not get selected for top performers last year. They returned and earned it this year.   For many, this is an opportunity for exposure. Below are some of the setters and liberos who may not have won top performer awards but made an impression at the Stock Up Showcase. Just keep playing hard and the accolades will come.   Setters    Sadie set a 5/1 for Academy at the Junior Nationals in the Patriot Division. She showed a good ability to distribute the ball to all her hitters, with strong hands to push the ball outside on out of system passes. Despite her 5'9" height she gets her hands high enough over the net to set a block. In the short window when I watched she rejected a hit.   Sadie plays for Georgetown Visitation. In the Independent School League (ISL) they would fall behind Flint Hill, Georgetown Day and Bullis when ranking the talent level. However, teams who carry efficient setters on their roster have a chance to overachieve. All they need are one or two offensive pieces.    [player_tooltip player_id='399708' first='Aven' last='Thorn'] - (S 5'7" Jefferson/Liberty Elite) - Aven carries a strong volleyball IQ with her game. She brings that innate knowledge of when to set or when to dump. Her hands are strong yet carry the ability to find a consistent location along the net. Aven set a 6/2 for Liberty Elite in the Patriot Division in Las Vegas. She also sets for Jefferson High in West Virginia.    When Zahara was younger she played the DS/libero position. It was not unusual for her to be the smallest player on the court. As she has gotten older she appears to have added setting to her repertoire. She does a good job of setting the ball outside. Her biggest strength may be the enthusiasm she brings to the court. Despite her move to setting she still normally remains the smallest player on the court, though Morgan Howell from Pennsylvania won that award at 4'11".     Josefa first started setting at the age of 15, when she played for a 15-4 team. I remember that because I coached that team. In the early days my thoughts were she would never make it as a setter. As the season progressed her setting improved and those thoughts changed to perhaps she has a chance. I see her now and in just two years she has turned herself into a setter.   A very athletic player who surprises you with the way she can attack a ball despite her 5'3" height. You won't find a harder worker who wants to get better. Imagine how her skills would be if she had begun setting three years earlier when she was 12.     Another setter I watched in the Patriot Division at Junior Nationals. She set a 6/2 coming out in the front row. Kamora has the enthusiasm for the game. Even when she stands on the sidelines you can hear her cheering. She moves quick to the ball but just needs to work a little more on her consistency with her location.       What impressed me about Katelyn were her soft hands. She has a nice touch on the ball. At the Junior Nationals in Las Vegas, she set a 5/1 for Maryland Jrs. in the Freedom Division. She does a good job running an offense, distributing her sets to a variety of hitters. When it comes to playing defense, she can keep rallies alive when the ball is hit to her area. A very solid player.     Olivia is a smooth setter. She has good hands and runs well to the ball, which allows her for the most part to use her hands when setting. For hitters hand sets are easier to time than platform sets.   This year should be an opportunity for Olivia to set for the Paul VI varsity. For the last two years her setting has made the junior varsity team almost unbeatable. Unfortunately, as I had to tell one parent when I coached junior varsity there are no state championships for junior varsity. Paul VI has a new coach creating a new mid set. This is an opportunity for Olivia to lay her mark on the varsity this year.     Kamilla (pictured above) played up a year the first time she played for a 13 team I coached. Although she set the previous year the team needed outsides. The setters for that team were [player_tooltip player_id='325403' first='Annabelle' last='Kim'] (top performer last year and setter for Heritage), and [player_tooltip player_id='591686' first='Clara' last='Jolly'] (setter for Loudoun Country). The fact she hit outside is a testament to her athleticism.   Now, she is getting her opportunity to set, and it appears to be going well. Her hands have always been good. It was the consistency of location that needed some work. In that area she has improved. She set for [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] in the Patriot Division in Junior Nationals at Las Vegas this past season. Tons of promise in her game and a player to watch.     Last year when she set for me her hands were good. Her issue was waiting too long in the setter position to see where the ball was passed, rather than breaking to the target area. This made her late to the ball and forced a lot of platform setting.   She has improved in that area which has allowed her to use her hands more. As a result, the consistency of her sets has improved. Last year she made the Junior Varsity for Washington-Liberty as a frosh.    Liberos    She was a little nervous out there in the beginning. Her mom told her to just breath. She did and nailed the first serve she received, showing she belonged. The nerves disappeared. The liberos that most impress me are those with constant foot movement. A premier libero dances in the back row anticipating where that ball will be hit. Catherine shows good foot movement and plays the position well. An under the radar player that a smaller college should take a look at.    Kinsey Connor (L/DS 2025, 5'3"Red Land/West Shore YMCA) - Kinsey came from Pennsylvania to attend the showcase. Watching her play she got down low and pulled out some good digs. She held her own out there against good competition.    Alexis brings a smooth platform to her passing. She also made a couple of nice digs. She plays for Ocean Lakes, a strong Virginia Beach high school. A player to keep an eye on.   A very competitive player who a team would benefit from running the back row. Plays her position well, finding her base, then moving to her defensive position as she adjusts to the set.     Mia first appeared on my rankings as an outside hitter. Loved her enthusiasm on the court as she put the ball away. She has now moved to the back row where her hustle stands out and her enthusiasm remains. Definitely not afraid to hit the floor. Also, if you need to establish a back row attack she can put some mustard on the ball. A good dual use player for offense and defense in the back row.    [player_tooltip player_id='520868' first='Caroline' last='Semko'] (DS/L 2027 5'7" Flint Hill/Virginia Elite) - Delaneyl Malloy made it as a top performer in the frosh showcase. Caroline is another quality back row player who can really go get the ball. Can perform a nice dolphin dive when hitting the floor. Moves her feet well and has the strength in her hands to dig the high balls.    What impresses me with a libero is when they can stay low, shuffle their feet and take a short serve with a platform pass. Caroline impressed me with that skill. She moves to the ball well.   Watched her play an incredible libero at a Spooky Nook tournament that helped her team take a second place finish. She made a habit of hitting the floor to keep rallies alive.     Love her hustle and attitude while on the court. She also shows a lot of confidence with her game. Stays low to the floor to dig the hard driven spikes and brings setter hands to the libero position. She is a fun player to watch at the libero position.   She earned a spot as one of my top five liberos in the class of 2027

The showcase runs for two hours. That translates to 120 minutes. There were close to 80 players showing off their skills on the volleyball court. That means in a short window of a little over one minute a player has an opportunity to perform. Reminds me of the adage "they never told you it would be easy".