STL President’s Day – 16 Premier Red Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was one of my favorite divisions because many kids I recognized were from smaller towns in Missouri. Watching these players come together and play club together is fun&nbsp;because you can see how talented some of them are. Here's a list of my favorite players I watched in the 16 Premier Red Division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485611' first='Ashtyn' last='Van De Ven'] – Setter – [program_tooltip program_id='428797' first='Pursuit' last=''] 16 National</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of my favorite setters in the 2027 Class 1 class is carrying over to the&nbsp;[program_tooltip program_id='428797' first='Pursuit' last=''] volleyball club. Ashtyn has terrific hands, and the ball seems clean wherever she has to chase down the pass. Her movement on the court is smooth, just like her sets. She is also one of the better defensive setters I saw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='544683' first='Maggie' last='Wood'] – Opposite – [program_tooltip program_id='428797' first='Pursuit' last=''] 16 National</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I enjoyed watching Maggie play at President's Day. At 5'7”, she floats in the air and comes down with a hammer of a swing. I was impressed with her all-around game, and I see tremendous improvement in her backcourt game. Maggie will be one of the top returners at Fredericktown this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485590' first='Rylie' last='Schreiner'] – Outside – [program_tooltip program_id='428797' first='Pursuit' last=''] 16 National</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rylie has been around the game for a long time with her court awareness and how to exploit the defense when hitting on the outside. Her best shot is a smash line, and she uses the outside hands of her blockers. Rylie is a smart player and carries that into the classroom as she tops her Leopold class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='877886' first='Anna' last='Denny'] – Outside – [program_tooltip program_id='428760' first='Core' last='STL'] 16 Navy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a hammer Anna has for an arm. A smooth passer and defender who transitions quickly to take a big rip on the outside. I was only able to watch part of a set for Core, but I watched Anna have kills on both pins, getting a kill on a sharp crosscourt on the left pin and then ripping one line on the right pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272167' first='Hailey' last='Lowery'] – Setter – [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 Navy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hailey is developing into a fantastic setter with a very high volleyball IQ. She has great push and accuracy to the pin hitters and runs a quick tempo in the middle. She is a solid defender, but it's her sweet hands and knowledge of the game that will take her to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Peyton Dolly – Middle – [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 Navy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tall, quick, athletic middle with a great vertical and can pound the ball. At 5'11”, she moves nicely in transition, and with the reach, she is hitting over or through blockers—Peyton's also a great blocker with excellent penetration. Peyton should fair well at Lafayette next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emma Hurst – Outside – [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 Navy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Emma's improvement from high school volleyball to club volleyball is coming full circle. She is developing into a very solid six-rotation hitter who passes and plays defense very well. In the match I watched her play, she had confidence in her ability to terminate on either pin and should help out Borgia this coming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->