Bluegrass Preview: Elite VBTC 16 Black

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are a few key athletes for Elite VBTC 16 Black opening play in Pool 8 in the 16 Open division at this weekend's Adidas Bluegrass event in Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jillian Rode</strong><br>Rode has a big arm that can be very terminal when she is in rhythm and on balance. At 5'10, she is athletic and very dynamic in the air to get up and seemingly determine what she wants to do with her arm once she is up there. She can pass and defend well at the net, making her complete in what she brings to this team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='763893' first='Peyton' last='Hanna']</strong><br>At 6'1, Hanna is a versatile attacker that can contact high and bring some heat. She can swing from any location across the net but brings the biggest impact for this group in the middle. She has length and when they can get her involved to maximize her physical tools we can see what she is capable of. She also defends well through both pins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='518939' first='Kylie' last='Trout']</strong><br>As I have highlighted Trout before, she goes without saying that she is critical to this team's offense whether in serve receive or through her defense. She engages well through the flow of points and takes care of her responsibilities with high quality presence, effort, and results. My favorite parts of her game are her preparation to pass or defend and that she rarely is surprised by what is required of her to engage in a play, which helps her increase her effectiveness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Reyna deSilva</strong><br>Get a good look at deSilva simply to evaluate the ceiling she has for her development. At 6'1 and left-handed, she is long and athletic with ability to get up and contact high to go over or challenge the top of the block well. The potential to become elite over the remainder of her prep career in evident as she can be an impact factor at the net every time she steps on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ava Montgomery</strong><br>The 5'11 Montgomery is a key arm for this offense on the power side pin. She shows good progress in her ability to get to the ball on time so she can maximize her lift and contact point to swing at the peak of her jump. As she further develops this to match her ability to move the ball around cross court or down the line against the edge of the block, she will certainly become more efficient and effective overall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kacey Anderson</strong><br>Sharing the setting role for this group, Anderson has good command of the offense as a setter. She uses consistently high hand contact that can put pressure on defenders to be patient through her delivery especially in the pocket in system. At 5'9, she uses her middles well and can dish with good tempo and location through both pins. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->