Best Freshman DS/Ls at San Antonio Top 250 Expo Vol. 1

<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. Let's look at the best freshman defensive specialists from the San Antonio Top 250 Expo.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/06/142-Aleena-Zuniga.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-205265" style="width:164px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='203942' first='Aleena' last='Zuniga'], DS/L from Harlan High School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='203942' first='Aleena' last='Zuniga']</h2>   <p>Zuniga is a 5'6" defensive specialist from Harlan High School. Zuniga is very athletic and has great ball placement. She adjusts well to out-of-system balls and seems very well-trained and practiced in her play. That is a lot of repetition for this young athlete.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='662489' first='Logan' last='Keenan']</h2>   <p>Keenan is a 5'5" defensive specialist from Westlake High School. Keenan has great fundamentals, is very athletic, and has a great platform. She is a quick athlete and gets under the ball hit hard to the ground with ease. She has a high volleyball IQ and is always ready to play.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='713979' first='Piper' last='Branscomb']</h2>   <p>Branscomb is a defensive specialist from Vandegrift High School. Branscomb moves aggressively to the ball and makes the play with a great platform, understanding of the game, and willingness to get dirty to get the ball up. She moves quickly and has a great pancake as well.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='663303' first='Coral' last='Padilla']</h2>   <p>Padilia is a 5' defensive specialist from London High School. Padilla is great at taking speed off the ball in serve/receive. She is great at getting the ball to the right place for her setters and looked like she supported her teammates at the Expo with a smile whether or not it was her turn to shine. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722060' first='Azareah' last='West']</h2>   <p>West is a 5'2" defensive specialist from Lehman High School. West is fast, athletic, and has a great platform well-used in serve/receive. She slides under the ball with ease and pops it up to her setter making it easy for the setter to prep her hitters for a kill. She looked like a well-oiled machine at the Expo and helped build momentum for her team.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722041' first='Adelyn' last='Marin']</h2>   <p>Marin is a 5'4" defensive specialist from La Vernia High School. Marin is very anticipatory of where the ball is going and where her skills will be needed on the court. She has a high volleyball IQ and is ready to play, moves fast, and is very good.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722112' first='Lyncy' last='Garcia']</h2>   <p>Garcia is a 4'11" defensive specialist from Edinburg Vela High School. Garcia likes to serve to the edges of the court and earned herself a few aces with those skills at the Expo. She absolutely flies across the court to save a ball going out of bounds. She has so much speed and agility it is a sight to behold. She has a great platform and excellent moves to get under the ball and get it up into play.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='722066' first='Brooklyn' last='Sedillo']</h2>   <p>Sedillo is a 5'8" defensive specialist from Dripping Springs High School. Sedillo knows how to adjust her platform to make the ball come off right for her setter. Sedillo is a pretty good setter as well. She also digs well under the block for her hitters in the front row. </p>   <p>All of these athletes are amazing and I cannot wait to see them with a couple of more years of training and growth.</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. Let's look at the best freshman defensive specialists from the San Antonio Top 250 Expo.