Top 16s Players at Battle at the Fort

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Battle at the Fort in Fort Smith, Arkansas is a popular tournament for Oklahoma teams to travel to. It is a relatively short drive but offers the ability to play tough teams from other areas. Let's take a look at how the tournament finished up and some of the top players in the 16s division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Gold Bracket Finish</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarters: FSJ 16 Elite over Ark Volley 16U Reg Plus, <strong>Virago 16-1</strong> over <strong>Kaizen 16 Black</strong>, <strong>Rise 16-2</strong> over Club Net 16 Premier, and Club Velocity U16-1 over [program_tooltip program_id='581540' first='501' last='Volley'] 16.3 Reg Plus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semis:</strong> FSJ 16 Elite over <strong>Virago 16-1</strong> (25- 14, 21-25, 15-10) and Club Velocity U16-1 over <strong>Rise 16-2</strong> (25-15 25-15).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Finals:</strong> FSJ 16 Elite over Club Velocity U16-1. (25-18 25-14)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Players</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Danica Carr</strong>- She is a right side for Kaizen 16 Black. She was a spark plug for her team. She could provide a huge block, a monsterous kill or a well timed ace. Danica's height and athleticism was impressive to see in action. She was a part of multiple big runs for her team in the quarterfinal thriller with Virago. Watch out for her upcoming school season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='764331' first='Maggie' last='Leach']</strong>- She is a libero for Virago 16-1. Maggie was a cornerstone for Virago 16-1. She held down the back row fantastically. She averaged just shy of double digit digs per match. She was also a force from the service line, doling out a team high in aces. She also was a huge cheerleader for her teammates. She celebrated BIG each time! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sophia Byers</strong>- She is an outside hitter for Charge 16 West. Her team was able to make it to the gold bracket and finish top 10. Her ability to do just about any skill well was impressive. When she would get a good set, she would bring the hammer. She also communicated well and was constantly the loudest player on the court. Another standout was her ability to dig hard driven balls in the back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Layne Eutsler-Tabor</strong>- She is a setter for Kaizen 16 Black. Layne is very athletic. She was able to track down a ton of arid passes and still give her hitters options. She ran a 5-1 the entire tournament. Her having 25 assists was a typical outing for her. She also contributed some offense herself, it was not uncommon to see her get a handful of kills each match. Despite her height, she still was able to be an effective blocker when in the front row. Layne was a big reason this team was seeded high at the beginning and finished tied for 7th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emma Perkins</strong>- She is a middle blocker for Rise 16-2. Emma was a hard working middle that transitioned well and fought to be available. She consistently stood out as a player who gave her team a spark when they needed it. Her blocking at times was a force you wanted to avoid. She was a big help in helping her team be 1 of only 2 Oklahoma teams to make it to the semis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='752762' first='Kameron' last='Cozort']</strong>- She is a middle blocker for Virago 16-1. Kameron ended the tournament hitting a .308 and a team high in blocks. She was a viable option throughout the tournament. This helped hold opposing middles, which allowed her pins more space to attack effectively. Hats off to her and her team for representing Oklahoma well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->