Gateway HS Regionals 16s Wknd 1 – Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching the 16s play over the weekend gave me a good idea of&nbsp;how strong the 2027 class is in Missouri. The players below showed some talented players moving through the ranks. Check out some of my favorite performers from last weekend at the Gateway Regionals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485634' first='Layla' last='Estes'] – Libero – NSSC 16 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Layla was hands down my favorite libero, and I caught it&nbsp;over the weekend. She is a fiery libero who uses her quick first step and speed to chase down balls that look unreachable. Takes&nbsp;up a ton of court in passing and is&nbsp;a dirty defender who gets on the floor to save balls and is tremendous in coverage. Layla led her team to a first-place finish over the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Morgan LeGrand – Middle – NSSC 16 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can see it in her face, and she's all business on the court. Morgan will become an absolute beast of a middle for Notre Dame. After starting as a freshman, her game has improved over the club season. She is a quick middle with a heavy swing, fast to the pins, and runs a nasty slide. She's a gamer through and through.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stella Ruesler – Outside – NSSC 16 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stella got my award for the hardest hitter over the weekend. Stella will fit right in at Jackson on the left pin this coming season. She is a dominating attacker who can place that ball anywhere she needs, but her bread and butter attack is a line shot. Stella is an all-around, fundamentally sound player who can play defense, pass, and care for things at the net. Keep an eye on this; she will make&nbsp;big waves in the next two years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Noelle Potsos – Outside - 314 VBC</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My favorite six-rotation outside hitter from the weekend is probably&nbsp;Noelle. I am so impressed with her game. She is a fierce competitor who does everything at a high level. She is a powerful gamer, plays tremendously on defense, is a whole-court passer, and is one of the best attackers I saw all weekend. She is someone to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Reese Adamec – Outside – 314 VBC</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>314 VBC 16 Red has two outstanding outside hitters, as I covered Noelle above, but Reese is just as good a six-rotation hitter as her teammate. Another tough defender, passer, and attacker, Reese loves to hit the high hands or cut the ball sharply crosscourt. Reese has a ton of game and will keep improving at 314 VBC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MacKenzie Anderson – Opposite – HPSTL 16 White</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The southpaw can do a lot of damage on the right pin. With a big vertical and long wingspan, MacKenzie causes damage with her swing and puts up a solid block. With an array of shots in her arsenal, her deadly attack is when she slams the ball line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->