AAU Nationals Diamonds in the Rough: Wave 3, Day 1

Well AAU Nationals are off and running. The crowds started rolling in at 6:30am for a 7:30am wave start, and groggy as they were, it was going to be a big day of volleyball. As the games got underway, the players didn't look nearly as tired as I felt, with bombs and digs everywhere you looked. Finding some players to highlight wasn't difficult for finding them, it was difficult in that there were so many to choose everywhere you look, that it was tough to find the more meaningful. Especially with so much action, as you aren't often seeing a whole game and getting full context, but clips and highlights as you travel the giant building. Remember, I hunt for diamonds in the rough, and players not normally getting the attention they deserve, so you may see part time players on these lists, you may see players from smaller clubs that aren't as successful, what you will see though are players that stood out for one reason or another and are worth following to see what other surprises they have for us.    Maya caught my ear before she caught my eye. Sometimes, when a player hits a ball, you just HEAR it, a deep thump, usually followed by a shriek because a ball is hit so hard. That's what happened in the snippet of game I caught here. She plays on one of the top teams in the country, and full disclosure, I only caught a few minutes, but in those couple minutes, I saw some serious and intriguing power on display both offensively, and defensively. After her big hit, she had a monster solo block that was so strong I thought she was going to sit the other girl down on the court. A couple minutes watching a player isn't going to get you an in depth breakdown, but catching plays like this, and in context of the level and team she plays for means she's got some skill. A strong player like that is the kind of player coaches are looking for in this evolving game where the newest trend is stacking power hitters at both OH and OPP, you need to have a player that is strong enough to stand against it, and Maya is that.      Amiah was a player I saw while watching another game. When there are breaks in play or time outs, you'll often see coaches and scouts take a look around and just see what else is around them. That's what I was doing here, and recognized Synergy, and decided to watch a couple exchanges while I was waiting from the other court. She stood out to me with a big offensive smash that landed inside the 10, the big hit that gets all the attention. But then I watched her use her athleticism to range and pick up a solo block when her middle was out of the play, and a few plays later drop back and make a smooth pass on a blooper that didn't make it deep enough for the lib to get to. I wish I had more time to see some more aspects of her game, but the building blocks are there for one of those athletic all around sixes that everyone wants.     I'm currently working on a long term post about setters from a 5-1 system vs a 6-2 system, and Ali is a strong 5-1 candidate. She stood out in warm ups watching her RS back sets and her soft touch to the middles, something I really like to see in my setters. I got to watch a good long chunk of game play and I saw what I thought i was going to see, which was a setter that moves the ball around well, knows how not to get predictable and had good touch on the ball. Then she surprised me a bit, using her height to get quite a few good blocks in, a few even solo. Many of the 5-1 setters I see are offense first, and the defense they can add is a bonus, but Ali is one of the legit front row setters that can hold her own as well as any RS at the net.     I touched earlier on athletic all around sixes, and Kennedy is one of the better in the class of 2027. She is still fairly new to OH, let alone playing around, as she spent time playing middle a few years ago, as one of those shorter middles who uses her vertical and athleticism to play the position. She's been developing constantly since then, and when a star player ahead of her moved on to a new club, it offered her the chance to really shine and show what she can do. Her offense can be terrifying at times, powerful, and accurate, she puts shots away with authority, and knows when to tip or roll instead of going through someone. Defensively she's really focused herself on improving this season since she's been playing all around, and start to finish you can see real improvement on her digs, her serve receive and her passing. When she gets focused on something, watch out, she's got elite athlete level determination and work ethic, and that's going to help her shore up those areas she is new to and really jump up some rankings lists this next season.     I just saw Alex a couple weeks ago at the Stock Up Showcase and she got a good write up from Bob. She showed good hands and defense, and her IQ is top notch. I didn't get to see a ton of the game with my attention split, but I could see a little bit of the DS/L in her game too, making some tough digs and contributing on defense. Being from PA, I doubt I will see her through HS season, but I'm looking forward to seeing her at the next PrepDig Showcase and more next season, as I'm a big fan of defensive setters in this evolving game.

Well AAU Nationals are off and running. The crowds started rolling in at 6:30am for a 7:30am wave start, and groggy as they were, it was going to be a big day of volleyball. As the games got underway, the players didn't look nearly as tired as I felt, with bombs and digs everywhere you looked. Finding some players to highlight wasn't difficult for finding them, it was difficult in that there were so many to choose everywhere you look, that it was tough to find the more meaningful. Especially with so much action, as you aren't often seeing a whole game and getting full context, but clips and highlights as you travel the giant building. Remember, I hunt for diamonds in the rough, and players not normally getting the attention they deserve, so you may see part time players on these lists, you may see players from smaller clubs that aren't as successful, what you will see though are players that stood out for one reason or another and are worth following to see what other surprises they have for us.