Early Bird Shootout: Which 14s Players You Had to Stop and Watch

Finally, the first tournaments of the season are here, and I had the pleasure of taking in the Early Bird Shootout at Capitol Sports Center this past weekend. There were multiple divisions going on for ages 11/12 through 17/18 at different locations all around Indianapolis, Indiana and the 14 Girls division was one I was definitely excited to check out. It still never ceases to amaze me the level of talent that exists as such young ages and the 14u division is certainly no exception. There were some beginning of the season jitters that needed to be worked out at first, but once they were, there was open-level talent at all positions to be seen. Here are the seven players that caught my eye through either advanced skill, hustle/competitiveness or a combination of both.    Allison currently plays for Circle City 14 Purple (their 1s team) and is an absolute wall at the net. The combo of her and DeAsia John together in the middle can really wreck the opposing team's offense and cause them to commit a lot of hitting errors. In the one set I watched alone, Bourff had 3 stuff solo blocks. She has big hands and moves laterally well and under control. One part of her game that is well developed for her age is the ability to read the opposing middle blocker when they are hitting; Allison is able to dive either direction with her hands quickly to take specific shots away. I am excited to see how her transition game improves as the season moves on (especially speed-wise) and if her setters can work to feed her the ball more.     I was so glad that I was able to watch DeAsia this past weekend because the sky is the limit for this young lady! What really made me stop and watch at first was her speed laterally - it seemed like she closed EVERY single block she made. She quite literally owned the net when she was up there; nothing gets past her. John is clearly competitive and wants to do her job well, so she takes blocking very seriously (I wish more middles felt this way!) and goes after everything. This young player is going to make a lot of people take notice with the combo of her competitive drive and sheer athleticism. Just like her teammate Bourff, I will be looking for her to work on improving her transition speed in the coming months, as well as getting more opportunities to put the ball away on offense.     Gooch is that player as a coach you want on your team who is always engaged, 100% focused and never quits hustling. Now it's awesome if you have a kid that fits that bill, but when they have actual talent too, you are in great shape. Luckily for Circle City, Sophia seems to have equal parts volleyball skill and the intangibles. As a young (8th grader) pin hitter I was impressed by her ability to hit different shots well - she was really good at tooling off the block and blasting the ball through the seams. She certainly plays bigger than her size and has the confidence to match her aggressive play. As an added bonus, Gooch is a great off blocker defender who is always ready to pick up an off-speed shot.     I'm not sure where to even start with Miss Davis because she has so many incredible qualities from great setting fundamental to solid leadership. So, let's start with her setting - she has great touch on the ball no matter where she is on the court, and she is able to push it all the way to the outside for most out of system plays. She can set all positions pretty comfortably and precisely, although I did not see her run any quick sets when I watched (I'm sure that will come over the next few months). In terms of blocking, she gets at least her elbows to the top of the net and has big, strong hands. Lastly, she is a good floor leader from what I could see, bringing a calm, steady presence to her team when things got close. Davis may have been my favorite player of the tournament because of the combo of skills she brings to her team and the game (setting, blocking, leadership, hustle).     Kadynn is the high-flying, hard hitting young pin hitter that makes you stop and take notice at tournaments. Not only does she jump high, but she makes even better use of her athleticism by reaching high when she swings so she can hit over and around the block. Keeling can hit a variety of shots that many players don't learn until they are in high school - she can find the seam, tip right over the block to zone 2 and swing off hands at any given time. When blocking, Kadynn seems very disciplined and doesn't reach outside her body very often, which leads to the defense being able to defend well behind her (if she doesn't stuff it). I definitely see a dynamic duo forming between her and her teammate [player_tooltip player_id='398588' first='Ella' last='Davis'] that is going to bring a lot of success to this good KiVA team.     I have Emma listed as a setter, but she is also a right side hitter as part of a 6-2 combo with fellow teammate, Georgia Addleman. In terms of setting, Frisinger showed great strength with an above average ability to push sets to the outside from all the way across the court. She is super athletic and a highflyer when hitting and blocking, especially when she comes in to hit a two ball; you better put on a helmet when Emma swings from the middle because she can hit either direction and hit it HARD. The last part of her game that I absolutely love is her transition off the net. She transitions hard and fast off, which is a big reason why she is able to hit so efficiently and with so much pace. If more young players transitioned as intentionally as Frisinger does, they would see a lot more success on offense.     Georgia is the second part of the 6-2 duo alongside Frisinger for [program_tooltip program_id='430155' first='Team' last='Pineapple']; she hits right side and also sets. Every coach loves a talented and tall lefty and Addleman certainly fits that bill (her height isn't listed, but she was one of the taller players at the tournament). She obviously is a natural to swing on the right side and does an effective job there, but she also can come in and crush a two ball in any direction, which as a lefty can be very difficult for opposing defenses to read and defend. Georgia's blocking is solid for her age; she puts up a big block, seals the net and doesn't reach. However, she does have a tendency to drift, causing her to get used on the block, but if she can work on pressing back into the court, she is going to be a nuisance for opposing outside hitters. Addleman has all the tools be top level prospect in the next three to four years as long as she puts in the work both on the court and in the gym.    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">If you loved this article, please follow our Instagram page, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abovethenetvolleyball">Prep Dig IN | Above The Net Volleyball</a> for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes action.</h3>   After following our page, take the next step and subscribe to PrepDig! By subscribing, you'll not only stay connected to the latest coverage of your favorite events, but you'll also be helping to shine a spotlight on rising volleyball talent.   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Finally, the first tournaments of the season are here, and I had the pleasure of taking in the Early Bird Shootout at Capitol Sports Center this past weekend. There were multiple divisions going on for ages 11/12 through 17/18 at different locations all around Indianapolis, Indiana and the 14 Girls division was one I was definitely excited to check out. It still never ceases to amaze me the level of talent that exists as such young ages and the 14u division is certainly no exception. There were some beginning of the season jitters that needed to be worked out at first, but once they were, there was open-level talent at all positions to be seen. Here are the seven players that caught my eye through either advanced skill, hustle/competitiveness or a combination of both.