SPVB Pres Day Challenge: 15/16 Open Bracket Showstoppers

Day 3 of tournaments are tough. Parents are tired, patience is running thin, people are starting to get tired of standing at courts, and backs are sore from the metal bleachers. Day 3 is also where we see the weak separate from the great. We see the players that LOVE the sport and live for it rise to the challenge and WILL their team to win. This tournament was no different. The bracket play at the Mizuno Presidents Day Challenge was filled with some HEFTY competition. The following players rose up in the 15/16 open division and put on a show as their teams battled it out on the last day in bracket play.   Remember to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigamy and Facebook @PrepDig Amy for up to date event coverage, stories, and more.    Mueller is a hardworking, impressive pin that knows many avenues to score. She reads the block in front of her well and will adjust to either go around it or go up and over it. She also has a wicked fast swing and uses it to her benefit. She has a tendency to catch many defenders off guard by taking advantage of splits in the block or by scoring points off of late blockers hands.     VandeSchaaf is a quick 6 rotation outside that leads her team in many ways. She has a great serve, is solid in serve receive, and defensively covers a ton of ground in the backrow from side line to side line. VandeSchaaf is also a scoring machine on the offensive end. She transitions quickly to put herself in a position to constantly be an option for her setters. Her out of system attacks are also very impressive as she takes big swings off the net, many times catching her opponents off guard.     Hoverson is a 6'2" middle that is a force at the net. With fast footwork and a good read on the ball, Hoverson routinely transitions quickly in order to put up a quick block in the middle and close blocks on the pins. Hoverson is also highly effective on the offense end. She can unload lethal attacks from both pins and out of the middle.     I am huge fan of lefties and after watching Zaleski this weekend, she at the top of my list of favorites. This lefty attacker packs a punch and not just at the right pin but also on the outside. She goes up each and every time and takes a big, impressive swing regardless of where she is on the court. Her boldness and confidence make her a huge asset on the court. She is not timid and makes the big plays that her team relies on her for.     I was impressed with Caves as her team battled it out on Monday during bracket play. Caves plays with an ease about her and doesn't get rattled. She focuses on what is needed and expected of her and delivers. I was especially impressed with the variety of her shots, alternating locations on the court and her ability to cover well in off blocker defense. She has good footwork and reads the opposing team's attackers well which is frustrating to opponents as they were not able to score on tips and dumps when she was in the front row.     Williamson was the driving force behind her team's win in the 15/16 open division. She is one of those players that you want and NEED on the court at all times. Running a 6-2, Williamson was pivotal in both quarterbacking the offense when in the back row and terminating from the front row. She has a high volleyball IQ and uses it to position her attackers for success when setting and terminating herself when attacking.     Colter had a solid day running the offense for her Sanford Fargo team as they made a run in the gold bracket. One of Colter's biggest strengths is her speed. She anticipates well and moves her feet quickly to get under the ball so she can deliver nice, consistent balls to her pins and find her middles when off the net. She also reads the defense well and knows when to reverse the ball leading to many isolated attacks.

Day 3 of tournaments are tough. Parents are tired, patience is running thin, people are starting to get tired of standing at courts, and backs are sore from the metal bleachers. Day 3 is also where we see the weak separate from the great. We see the players that LOVE the sport and live for it rise to the challenge and WILL their team to win. This tournament was no different. The bracket play at the Mizuno Presidents Day Challenge was filled with some HEFTY competition. The following players rose up in the 15/16 open division and put on a show as their teams battled it out on the last day in bracket play.