FaR Out 18 Black Exceeds Expectations at Triple Crown

Be sure to follow @lshotvb on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lshotvb/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">Tik Tok </a>and <a href="https://x.com/LineShotVBall">Twitter</a> for all things volleyball!   –   After a tough day 1, not many would have expected this team to be one of the best.   It wasn't expected and there weren't many to begin with. FaR Out's 18 Black squad is much like that of Munciana's. They pride themselves and curating the best 18s team they can year in and year out. With this, that involves a lot of return but a lot of departure year after year.   Last Triple Crown, 18 Black was coming off of a big season. In 2023, they won Under Armour Emperor's Cup and finished top five at AAU Nationals in 17 Open. They didn't receive a nod to the power pools in 2024, despite the success. This year was different story. We see the West Michigan squad get the nod but without a lot of key players that had made their team so tough to beat the last two seasons.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/DSC05577_1f0110.jpg?w=769" alt="" class="wp-image-753013" style="width:176px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='224272' first='Cambria' last='Gaier']</figcaption></figure>   One of the biggest names missing from the roster was [player_tooltip player_id='156343' first='Navea' last='Gauthier'] (Ohio State), one of the top propects in the 2025 class. What would've been her final, and true, 18s season, she chose to forego and join the Buckeyes early. They also waved goodbye to keys Elana Erickson (Western Michigan) and Carley Piercefield (Western Michigan). This duo took up so much space in the reception and defensive ends of the game. They returned a lot as well, just not as much that play consistent starting roles. With this in mind, it was a valid question of how they'd stack up against the best of the best.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tournament Play</h2>   Day 1 came and it was looking a bit unideal for FO. 0-3 on the day. This may have been what we were worried about. However, the beauty of the power pools is no matter how well you do (or lack there of), you're still guaranteed a way into the top bracket on Day 2. With this in the back of their pockets, 18 Black soared.   FaR Out took down some major names such as CUVC in the opener, a challenge match to continue on. They then went on to beat Dallas Premier and Seal Beach to maintain in the hunt for a Triple Crown title. The huge turn around could really be accredited to the resilient play of the pair of outsides, [player_tooltip player_id='226882' first='Karis' last='Chatfield'] (East Tennessee State) and [player_tooltip player_id='224272' first='Cambria' last='Gaier'] (South Alabama).   This duo was easily one of the best duos in the entire division given their day 2 performances. Chatfield is such a crafty player with such a sense for the court, in both her attack and her defensive phases of the game. Gaier continues to wow with her ability to rip away at the net and from the service line. Even more impressive, it wasn't sure where Gaier would be in the line up. A pretty harsh ankle injury suffered just a week or so prior to the all-important tournament had Gaier's time on the court and her performance in question. You wouldn't know it given the way she played this weekend.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/DSC05571_d589b3.jpg?w=769" alt="" class="wp-image-753014" style="width:174px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='226882' first='Karis' last='Chatfield']</figcaption></figure>   Day 3 is where we see FaR Out ultimately bow out of contention for the title. With an opening loss to Munciana Samurai in the Elite 8, then a tough loss to NPJ in the battle for fifth. Just narrowly losing in a 15-13 decision. Despite having a record of 3-4 however, there was a lot of good to come out of this weekend.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notes Post Tournament Play</h2>   Like I said, after watching this team's overall play this weekend, there is a lot of good here on 18 Black. First and foremost, it is a pretty hefty testament to be the top finishing team out of Michigan. Both Michigan Elite and Legacy have two of strongest teams in the country. Both of which had found themselves amongst the top 8 for the last few tournaments. To be the lone team representing Michigan is quite the feat.   Let's talk more about these players. Chatfield continues to wow and cement herself as one of the top products in her class out of Michigan. She is a steady force in her ball control and so hard to defend offensively. She is the type of player that I would kill to see on the beach. With her vision and her range, Chatfield is not a player I want to defend. Gaier is a player that really shook things up towards the end of last season on 18 Black. I remember seeing her in her 16s season, one of the smallest players in her division. To now, she is a solid 6'1, 6'2 pin that jumps out of the gym and is developing quite a lethal swing. She is going to be a player that can have a Maddux-like effect on South Alabama.   In the middle, FaR Out has so much depth to go around. [player_tooltip player_id='156301' first='Elyse' last='Heffner'] (South Alabama) is a leading force as not only a blocker, but as an attacker as well. Off of one foot, Heffner becomes so lethal and opens up so much for the entire team to fire away. Alongside her [player_tooltip player_id='288946' first='Alana' last='Bailey'] (Ball State) and [player_tooltip player_id='535138' first='Briawna' last='Zimmerman'] (Western Michigan) are two extremely strong players along the net. Bailey is a spring board off of two feet and can really wreak havoc. Given Zimmerman's versatility, she can really be an impact off of the bench. She can be an offensive threat in front of and behind the setter as well as put up one solid block.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/DSC05548_b2ee79.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-753015" style="width:162px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson']</figcaption></figure>   In the defensive end, both [player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='288948' first='Lexi' last='Armstrong'] (Grand Valley State) are such great compliments to each other in the back row. Johnson is another young blood on this squad, and touted as one of the best in her 2027 class. She looked more than comfortable competing against some of the best of the best. She was easily a top libero in this division. Armstrong was right there with her. Coming off of such a strong high school season, Armstrong's game has really jumped levels within the last few months and it showed in KC.   Last, but not least, we have to talk setting. For the last couple of years, 18 Black squad has become notorious for running the 6-2 system. [player_tooltip player_id='224597' first='Abby' last='Pickard'] (Northern Kentucky) has been a part of that for the last few seasons. This time around, Triple Crown saw Pickard mostly run the show solo. [player_tooltip player_id='226936' first='Lexie' last='Stotenbur'], a really strong setter waits in the wings on the bench, but Pickard is running the show. This is a true testament to not only her growth over the last several years, but also her invaluable leadership on the court. However, with the ability to weave in and out of this system, Stotenbur proved more the capable of running an elite level offense.

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