Early Statements at Nike Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first day of action was very competitive with many results that were expected along with some indication of just how competitive this club season will be among Ohio teams. Here are a few stories from the first day of the Nike Classic in Columbus, OH.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>18 Open</em></strong><br>Premier 18 Onitsuka swept Pool 1 that included a terrific statement win over the event's top seed in Tri-State 18 Blue. This match was the only three-set win for Premier and included a tight 15-13 third set conclusion. Premier assumes the top seed heading into day two. The Xavier-bound [player_tooltip player_id='572577' first='Jenna' last='Barhorst'] is the primary setter with great court sense and ability to lead and position hitters for success. One of their biggest arms is [player_tooltip player_id='445123' first='Ava' last='Buddelmeyer'], a BGSU commit. Helping create balance at the pins are a pair of uncommitted prospects worth a good look in 6'0 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='445133' first='Sophie' last='Burkey'] </strong>on the left side and 6'1 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='758012' first='Lila' last='Krall'] </strong>at opposite. Burkey also plays defense with good range while Krall has an aggressive arm at the top of her jump. Also uncommitted and deserving of more evaluation are DS/L prospects <strong>Stephanie Winzeler</strong> and <strong>Brooklyn Okoneski</strong>. We will see if their effort continues to pay off as they advance to the lone Group 1 Power Pool on day two and will face three terrific teams in Adidas KIVA, NKYVC and Academy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>17 Open</em></strong><br>As the top pool saw a battle with three teams tying at 2-1 (no Ohio teams), the remaining pools maintained order for the most part, including a convincing round by Mintonette m.71, a team that will likely be favored to medal in each event they play in this season. As this team returns the core group of contributors, all committed to Division I schools, they have some key additions that bring length, offense, and other tools that help with their depth. [player_tooltip player_id='227630' first='Ava' last='Brown'] is a Maryland commit with good size and big arm that will contribute on the pins. [player_tooltip player_id='227627' first='Malia' last='Romes'] (Rutgers commit) also brings length and quickness in the middle. Both should add significant impact to their net defense. With a stella libero returning to this team in [player_tooltip player_id='227636' first='Emma' last='Cugino'], this squad added [player_tooltip player_id='512531' first='Macie' last='Mintz'] from Archbishop Hoban. Mintz, uncommitted, is experienced and brings quickness and good range to help strengthen the first-touch aspect. The other uncommitted prospect to see here, and should land in a very good next-level situation, is setter [player_tooltip player_id='524602' first='Izzy' last='Scholvin']. She is skilled with high I.Q. with an offensive mindset at the point of contact to make good decisions to dish or score off her own arm. Their battle continues on day two with three great opponents in a very good NKYVC team, Boiler Jrs., and [program_tooltip program_id='430852' first='Tri-State' last='Elite'] 17 Blue</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>16 Open</em></strong><br>[program_tooltip program_id='430852' first='Tri-State' last='Elite'] 16 Blue entered as the third seed overall and finished day one as one of two teams that swept their competition to earning a perfect 6-0 mark for sets played. They were dominant with only two sets seeing their opponent score more than 20 points as they defeated top 16U teams from Sports Performance, Elite VBTC, and Renaissance. As previewed earlier, this is a team that is complete in all aspects of the game with big arms, ball control that is tough to disrupt, and great setting. They are a tough team to break down as they defend well and their transition action is efficient from all positions. A squad made up of athletes from the Cincy area and northern Kentucky, some of their supporting prospects that deserve mention and attention include DS/L prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='725304' first='Emme' last='Moser']</strong> (*pictured). She is quick defensively with her feet and reaction to play the ball, while also capable of applying a lot of pressure at the service line Both were on display on day one. Also worth a good look is pin <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='480838' first='Makenna' last='Meibers']</strong>. At 5'11, she has a fast arm and displayed her ability to get her feet to the ball and make things happen with that pace. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='480821' first='Maisie' last='Jones']</strong> is another pin prospect with good range and power in her arm control. She scored by driving the ball deep and at times just overpowering the block in front of her. Both Meibers and Jones also provide great presence and length in the back row defensively. Arriving at one of two Power Pools on day two, they are the second seed and will face top-seeded Legacy later in the day, which could be a defining win this early season. Also in the pool are CUVC and [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 16 Renfro, two good teams but likely to be overpower by these top two teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->