Triple Crown NIT – Texas Teams to Watch – 16’s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof.  It will be held in Kansas City, MO on February 15-17^th.  I will be covering this tournament in person once again and can't wait for the matchups.  There are tons of players and teams to watch out for. Let's “Dig” in to find out who they are.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What TX Power Pool Teams Will Be Contending For a Championship?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Power Pool A has two North Texas teams who can light up a scoreboard in a hurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TAV 16 Black Paul is no stranger to titles over the last few years as they have been a staple in Open division gold brackets.&nbsp; In my opinion, everything with this team starts with their amazing setters.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='518965' first='Sophee' last='Peterson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='534299' first='Brynn' last='Stephens'] are the best duo in the country.&nbsp; Both are capable of running a 5-1 offense if need be at a very elite level and both are also fully capable of staying in as a primary weapon on offense.&nbsp; The back row is comprised of Asnley Shafer and [player_tooltip player_id='443042' first='Siena' last='Ebert'].&nbsp; Both of these young ladies are full of awesome ball control skills that help to keep this team in system.&nbsp; These four young ladies are the fuel that keeps this high-octane engine running on all cylinders.&nbsp; With the addition of six foot four [player_tooltip player_id='694108' first='Allie' last='Hudgins'], this squad is lethal.&nbsp; Her counterparts are also deadly above the net.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='534308' first='Lexi' last='Martin'], [player_tooltip player_id='534300' first='Nyla' last='Livings'], [player_tooltip player_id='534402' first='Mariah' last='Akinsola'], and Onita Davis can throttle the ball with the best of them.&nbsp; This squad is coming off of an undefeated Tour of Texas Austin stop championship run and is primed for another solid showing at Triple Crown.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='431200' first='Madfrog' last=''] 16 National Green does&nbsp; a lot of things on the court that translate to wins.&nbsp; Both of their setters play great defense out of right back.&nbsp; I love watching Dakota Richard pursue the ball because she has no regard for her body and will lay out at any time she needs to in order to keep the ball in play.&nbsp; Very rarely do you see setters with that type of grit and tenacity on defense.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='534291' first='Gentry' last='Barker'] made the switch over to this talented team and she is still very lethal from any location on the court.&nbsp; Although she may be slightly undersized compared to other pins, this kid can fly and has a lightning fast arm swing that rips the ball to shreds.&nbsp; I also love her competitiveness in the position.&nbsp; She is the type of player that I would want to go into battle with anytime.&nbsp; She has so many shots in her offensive arsenal and deploys them at will.&nbsp; They use a two libero system well with [player_tooltip player_id='433561' first='Karsyn' last='Evans'] and [player_tooltip player_id='433667' first='Savannah' last='Sterna'].&nbsp; Both young ladies contribute very nicely to the ball control.&nbsp; Left side attacker [player_tooltip player_id='534328' first='Vanessa' last='Glenn'] has such a high volleyball IQ and is extremely solid on the court.&nbsp; She just feels like glue holding everything together.&nbsp; There is a lot of trust in her abilities for sure.&nbsp; On the right side, [player_tooltip player_id='762460' first='Gabriella' last='McHenry'] takes some big swings and contacts the ball at the true peak of her reach.&nbsp; This team has some weapons and we will be watching them closely.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Non-Power Pool Teams Could Sneak Up On People?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Excel 16 National Red just had a fantastic showing at the Tour of Texas Austin stop tourney where they 3-2 overall and finished 5^th in the invitational division.&nbsp; Setter Malia McNeal really impresses me with her power and athleticism.&nbsp; Not only can she dish the rock well and distribute evenly but I also love how she dumps the ball with the intention of scoring.&nbsp; The ball comes out of her hands very fast and she is deliberate about what she wants to do with it.&nbsp; Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='709707' first='Joelle' last='Kelly'] has been taking some big rips at the ball on the left pin.&nbsp; She has a big arm and that helps to keep this team aggressive.&nbsp; Libero Monica Bercaru-Maxim has been very steady out of the middle back position on defense.&nbsp; She creates some solid angles with her platform and really does a great job of cushioning the ball to keep it on her side of the court.&nbsp; Middle [player_tooltip player_id='433670' first='Tito' last='Abiba'] has power for days from her right arm.&nbsp; I also love how she drives her feet hard into the ground to stay on a quick tempo with her setter.&nbsp; We will definitely stop by their court to see them in action because we think they can be a dark horse in the tourney.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->