2024 Durango Fall Classic Fabulous Freshmen

During my observations of the annual DFC in Las Vegas, NV I was fortunate to see some standout players who are part of the class of 2028. In fairness to all athletes who were competing, these are only players I was able to personally witness in the gym while I was there. It was really exciting to see freshmen standing out and making major contributions to their schools in a high level tournament. The evolution and advancement of the game continues to impress and shows the future of the sport is exceedingly bright.    Recently moving to Arizona, Izzie was a treat to watch at the DFC. She is a 6 rotation player and a very important piece on a talented, young Casteel High School team. Her experience as a "bro" really showed in serve/receive, as she directed traffic and would routinely take extra area of the court. Excellent ball control on passing and digging as she put her beach skills to work. I really liked how she was always ready to hit out of the back row from serve/receive and transitioning from defense to be an offensive option. Izzie also displayed great touch using her hands to take out of system balls and give an attacker a chance to swing. Blocking position was always good and she expertly drove off the net to get into attack position. The approach footwork was smooth and she always had control, staying behind the ball with good hip/shoulder separation. Serving was another great tool for her as she had other teams out of system on a regular basis. One of the most impressive things about her was how composed she was on the court no matter the opponent or the circumstances. A very important piece in Casteel's fantastic run and 6th place finish.     Sydney made an immediate impact on the very first play I saw her, as she rose up and crushed an overpass inside the 10 foot line. The athleticism is very apparent and not once did she ever appear out of place on a senior heavy, highly ranked team. She played all 6 rotations, manning the right side in the front and handling setting duties while in the back row. Not once did she shy away from attempting all of the sets, and she was another freshman who seemed composed and mature to handle anything thrown at her. Versatility to play two positions for a high level team, from a high level state screams to her potential and she is only going to get better and stronger.     Brooke really made me happy watching her in serve/receive where she passed with tempo, getting the ball fast to the setter to speed up the offense. She had excellent ball control and clearly playing sand has translated to her indoor game. Her ability to always get around the ball on defense, and bring the ball up on target, kept rallies alive. Another composed freshman on a highly ranked team, I appreciated her high hand contact on offense to allow her to maneuver through and around the block. Hitting from the back row saw no drop off in aggressiveness and bringing heat.     Amari was a dynamite player at the net, running sets at both pins and a variety of middle sets. She was quick off the floor and moving side to side to get in on blocks. Worked hard to transition from defense to offense and has range on the attack. A very bright future is ahead of her.

During my observations of the annual DFC in Las Vegas, NV I was fortunate to see some standout players who are part of the class of 2028. In fairness to all athletes who were competing, these are only players I was able to personally witness in the gym while I was there. It was really exciting to see freshmen standing out and making major contributions to their schools in a high level tournament. The evolution and advancement of the game continues to impress and shows the future of the sport is exceedingly bright.