Four Notable Athletes from FAST Warm Up’s 15 Open

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>December 14th marked the exciting kickoff of one of the first major tournaments in Texas! The FAST Warm Up, held across multiple clubs in Houston, was the perfect beginning for many teams' seasons. I had the wonderful opportunity to cover the 15 Open division during this thrilling two-day tournament. After witnessing so many exceptional athletes and incredible matchups, four remarkable girls truly captured my attention. These talented young athletes are bursting with potential, and I have no doubt that they will be ones to watch in the future!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["662610"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67602cc7b8037"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Madison demonstrates exceptional skill at getting her feet to the ball, showcasing her agility and quick reflexes, while also adjusting her approach effectively to ensure she is keeping the ball in front of her at all times. This ability not only increases her chances of making successful plays but also allows her to anticipate the ball's trajectory with precision. Furthermore, she has a remarkable talent for performing back row attacks, displaying powerful shots that keep her opponents on their toes and create scoring opportunities for her team. Her overall performance is a testament to her hard work and dedication to the sport, making her an invaluable asset on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":733838,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Charli Niu","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32561","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Salado","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='431061' first='Austin' last='Junior Volleyball']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67602cc7b816d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Charli has great ball placement when ball handling. Her height allows her to get to every ball very quickly and take her time waiting for the ball to come down to her and set them gracefully. She has very good body control that allows her to stay out of the net when setting tight balls, hitting, and blocking. She is also very coachable and able to coach up her teammates. She is constantly listening to her coaches for insights and direction when playing and relaying the messages to her teammates, talking up her teammates after every dead ball. You can tell she is a natural leader, and her coaches trust her with that role, which is a great quality for an athlete to have. She is also very disciplined as a setter playing defense. A lot of setters at this age struggle with releasing too early and not staying to play defense, but Charli reads the hitter well and knows when she should stay or leave, receiving good digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":734085,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Elsa St. Rose","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Tompkins","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67602cc7b8266"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Elsa is such a calm and confident athlete, consistently exuding a sense of poise that is both admirable and inspiring. She makes great transitions off the net, showcasing her agility and quick thinking, which allows her to adapt seamlessly to different game situations. Her passes in serve receive and defense are effortless and beautiful, flowing with a natural grace that leave spectators in awe. Furthermore, she is a smart hitter with great shots, always choosing the right moment to strike and catch her opponents off guard. Elsa has remarkable court vision; you can see her check the other side of the court before she swings, taking a moment to assess her options and strategize her next move. This level of awareness not only enhances her performance but also elevates her teammates, fostering an environment of teamwork and collaboration on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":733990,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='765090' first='Sade' last='Bello']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Cypress Ranch","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67602cc7b835b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sade has so much power behind her swing. She uses everything in her body when putting her force behind the ball and gets a kill every time. Watching her, you can see that she is really good at finding the ball. She adjusts her last two approach steps to make sure the ball is in front of her. After she contacts the ball, her body crunches from using her core and shoulder strength to hit the ball. You can even see the ball deflate a little when it hits the ground. Sade gets up so high when attacking and blocking; you can easily tell she has a 10 foot approach touch. She also has amazing defense, being able to cover a lot of ground while playing middle back. Her passes are directly to target, even when chasing down and diving for the ball. She excels at ensuring that her platform is angled to target. She consistently succeeds in her passing and digging execution.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:gallery {"linkTo":"none","align":"center"} --> <figure class="wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"><!-- wp:image {"lightbox":{"enabled":true},"id":733799,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":"is-style-default"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02993.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733799" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733797,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02990.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733797" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733798,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02971.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733798" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733804,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02858.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733804" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733801,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02815.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733801" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733803,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02808.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733803" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image 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class="wp-image-733810" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733814,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02331.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733814" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733821,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02301.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733821" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733807,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02116.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733807" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733819,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02115.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733819" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733823,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02113.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733823" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733822,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC02007.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733822" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733825,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01909.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733825" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image 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class="wp-image-733834" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733835,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01563.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733835" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733831,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01478.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733831" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733832,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01460.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733832" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733824,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01335.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733824" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733829,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01326.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733829" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733830,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01305.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733830" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":733826,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC01256.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-733826" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">FAST Warm Up: 15 Open</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:gallery -->