Best Freshman DS/Ls at San Antonio Top 250 Expo Vol. 2

<p>Defensive specialists are some of the best players on any team. They have to be expert ball handlers and great athletes in general. They must understand the court and know where every other player is to make the digs and saves integral to any set. Many times the play by these superior athletes is the difference between a win or a loss on the score sheet. We had so many great athletes playing as liberos at the Expo in San Antonio that this is going to be an addendum to a prior article so we can see what makes each of these athletes special. Let's look at the best freshman defensive specialists in volume 2 from the San Antonio Top 250 Expo.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='721336' first='Remington' last='Larson']</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/IMG_5494.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-722357" style="width:162px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='722133' first='Remington' last='Larson'], DS/L from Clemons High School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure>   <p>Larson is a 5'4" defensive specialist from Clemens High School. Larson is quick on her feet and is constantly moving on the court providing coverage. She has a great platform and uses it well in serve/receive and when digging up blocked balls. She can set and hit as well as play back-row positions.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722034' first='Abby' last='Ojeda']</h2>   <p>Ojeda is a 5'1" defensive specialist from Cornerstone Christian School. Ojeda is fast to the ball and basically can cover everything on the court. She has a high volleyball IQ and shifts momentum to her team's side by getting crucial saves and ace serves. She is a great athlete!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722083' first='Emmy' last='Bourne']</h2>   <p>Bourne is a 5'2" defensive specialist from Cornerstone High School. Bourne is most impressive in how low to the ground she carries herself and how quickly she gets to the ball. She is on the ball constantly and always moving to cover the most of the court she can during a play. She sends the ball to the setter with precision and accuracy. She also has great serves with great consistency.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/11/896-Sara-Gonzalez-e1700706149827.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-482400" style="width:161px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='482103' first='Sara' last='Gonzalez'], DS/L from Johnson High School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='482103' first='Sara' last='Gonzalez']</h2>   <p>Gonzalez is a 5'4" defensive specialist from Johnson High School. Gonzalez is a smooth operator. She gets under the ball and makes it look so easy, slows the ball down in serve/receive before sending it to the setter, and follows up with her hitters to dig the ball from under the net after it gets blocked. She is the real deal and the whole enchilada as far as a good libero. She can set hitters to cover for the setter if she takes the first pass and has a powerful serve to the edge of the back boundary.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722035' first='Adalin' last='Gutierrez']</h2>   <p>Gutierrez is a 5'5" defensive specialist from Brandeis High School. Gutierrez will chase the ball out of the gym. She is a very dedicated athlete and performs miracles for her team. She has a great jump serve and can also hit on the right side. She might be an all-around player in the next few years.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722084' first='Ensley' last='Land']</h2>   <p>Land is a 5'5" defensive specialist from New Braunfels High School. Land might have been my favorite of the day. She has these amazing one-handed pop-ups that are accurate and playable. She has a perfect platform and true athleticism. She has good back-row attacks with hard and powerful serves. Super fun athlete to watch!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='721425' first='Maddie' last='Robinson'] </h2>   <p>Robinson is a 5'6" defensive specialist from Round Rock High School. Robinson is athletic with her powerful serves standing out in the crowd. She is really quick and sacrifices her body for the ball to end up back in play. She is a selfless athlete and a good teammate by her interactions at the Expo, and she looked happy to be playing. She has good fundamentals, a great platform, and knows how to twist her arms to hit the ball just right to her teammates from the out-of-play region of the gym. </p>   <p></p>

Defensive specialists are some of the best players on any team. They have to be expert ball handlers and great athletes in general. They must understand the court and know where every other player is to make the digs and saves integral to any set. Many times the play by these superior athletes is the difference between a win or a loss on the score sheet. We had so many great athletes playing as liberos at the Expo in San Antonio that this is going to be an addendum to a prior article so we can see what makes each of these athletes special. Let's look at the best freshman defensive specialists in volume 2 from the San Antonio Top 250 Expo.