Sunshine Classic Showcase Standouts Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orlando, Florida was a balmy 60 degrees during the Sunshine Classic Showcase, but the talent was even hotter inside the [program_tooltip program_id='518441' first='Winter' last='Park Volleyball Club'] facility on Friday. Let's start out by taking a look at some libero and defensive specialists that stood out immediately on the night!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='754613' first='Charlotte' last='Aus'], a 5'5” Class of 2028 out of Sandy Spring Friends School in Maryland stood out on Friday night. Aus took great reads on the ball and did a fantastic job of getting behind the ball. Her free ball passes were absolute dimes each time. Aus was all over the floor getting a hand or touch on balls. She was seemingly always in the right position and was a leader on the floor. The freshman defensive specialist had 25 ace serves, 63 digs, and 53 kills for the Wildebeests this past fall. Keep tabs on this rising athlete!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another Class of 2028 standout was 5'5” Dakota Washington out of Norcross High School in Georgia. The super athletic Washington had a breakout freshman year for the Blue Devils as she racked up 132 digs and chipped 34 ace serves. She was always in the right position on defense and had great reaction time to balls. Really loved her energy on the floor and was always in a ready position either on defense or serve service. Washington also chased balls well and used her hands well in defense or setting out of system balls to the pins. Her athleticism and quickness is a huge uptick! Take note of this upcoming athlete!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to the 2028 class Brooke Cunningham from Emerson, Texas is a 5'5” defensive dandy. She talks and reads hitters well. Cunningham plays lock down floor defense and has a strong platform. One thing that stood out for this freshman was her consistency already in her young career. Cunningham had good leadership skills out on the court as well. Keep track of this freshman!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class of 2027 sophomore standout was 5'3” [player_tooltip player_id='751348' first='Sara' last='Mendez'] out of Cypress Creek. Mendez is quick, fast and strong. She covers her hitters well and reads well on defense. Her ability to be vocal in a more unfamiliar situation also stood out as a positive characteristic. She had good ball control the entire night. Her ability to continue the rally was evident in her defensive prowess. Look for her stock to continue to rise!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;5 '6 " [player_tooltip player_id='751930' first='Ivana' last='Reyes'] another 2027 standout from Gateway showcased her steady plattform on serve receive Friday night. She does a really good job of using angles to pass and play defense and keep her plattform away from her body to be consistent. Her free ball passes during drills were on point as well. Reyes, who also can play on the pin, racked up 148 kills, 134 digs and chipped in 23 ace serves for the Gateway Panthers this past fall in her sophomore campaign. Really liked her versatility on the floor and her ability to showcase a lot of skills on the court!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a great night of action at the [program_tooltip program_id='518441' first='Winter' last='Park Volleyball Club'] with the liberos and defensive specialists. This is just a glimpse of the lock down passers and defenders that stood out early. Stay tuned for more analysis of back row specialists!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->