Elevation 17 Chicas wins crown, Day 2 solid hitters at Players

Coming into the weekend at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, the [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 17 Chicas team had finished 17 Open runner-up in the previous three tournaments including the Bluegrass Tournament in the same venue on March 9.   Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='227617' first='Cara' last='Richter'] said that lit a fire under their tales, helping them push through on the final points in the 17 Open championship on Sunday. Down two players, [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 17 Chicas knew the other eight players had to do their part to bring home that elusive title and they did that to best the Boiler Juniors 17-1O Gold team, 2-0 (26-24, 25-22).   Two middle blockers in [player_tooltip player_id='403521' first='Grace' last='Herzog'] and [player_tooltip player_id='392780' first='Sydney' last='Geselbracht'] were not available Sunday. However, everyone picked things up. Dynamic libero [player_tooltip player_id='195210' first='Rachel' last='Morgan'] had another phenomenal game forming walls with her arms on first contacts along with [player_tooltip player_id='227618' first='Ava' last='Long'] in the back row, allowing solid setter [player_tooltip player_id='227619' first='Makenna' last='Kirlin'] to dish out assists all over the net.   [player_tooltip player_id='403522' first='Kendall' last='Northern'] used every skill at her disposal to find holes in the Boiler Juniors defense, including a slide kill to finish it. [player_tooltip player_id='227628' first='Sidney' last='Sprada'] used her amazing arm swing to hit balls all over the place and Richter may not have started strong, but she figured things out quickly. [player_tooltip player_id='745461' first='Sophie' last='Davis'] and Reesa Zimmerman also had a number of big moments throughout the tournament helping the team go 7-0 over the two days.   [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 17 Chicas had to go through [program_tooltip program_id='430852' first='Tri-State' last='Elite'] 17 Blue in the semifinals to move on to the title game and also won it 2-0 (25-20, 25-15). That team controlled the net well in that battle.   Chicas knew a Bluegrass rematch with KIVA 17 Red in the gold round loomed as a possibility. However, a team they see a lot in practice in [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 17 Conner took down KIVA 17 Red, 2-0 (25-19, 25-23) in pool play Sunday morning to earn a spot in the gold semifinals. [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 17 Conner finished 4-2 in the tournament with both losses coming to Boiler Juniors 17-1O Gold.   These six hitters stood out Sunday.    Blair does a great job reading blocks and angling balls off them with her size. Blair is especially tough on the ones. The righty is not afraid to catch defenses off-guard using her off left hand. Blair controls the net with her sound swing blocking. She joined the Elizabethtown Volleyball Academy's 16 Blue team for this tournament and nationals.     Knight played junior varsity for Oldham County last fall, but moved up in the postseason as the result of injuries. She hopes to fill in a big role for the Colonels this fall. Knight gives good smacks on the ones to different parts of the court. She finished off a game Sunday angling a ball off NKJV 16 Blue's tallest player at 6-2 and out of bounds.     Cannon takes powerful swings from the outside for the 14 Red team as the result of fluid motion from starting position to the follow-through. She also disrupts things at the net. Cannon said she's been going to a lot of open gym, focusing on specific shots all over the court and implementing them in games.     Yoder has an outstanding vertical jump and puts good power on balls. Yoder consistently powers balls through, over and around blockers to the floor with her size. Yoder is a good swing blocker.     Nicholas possesses an outstanding line hit when sets hit the target. Nicholas has a great net approach, lift then follow-through. The Surge 16 Blue staff is using her versatility at all six spots on the floor. Nicholas is a timely blocker and hustles hard after balls on the court.     Blackburn has a nice, crisp hitting rhythm. The 16 Elite staff takes advantage of her ability to produce at all six spots on the floor. Blackburn mixes in tips to the open part of the court and makes solid passes. Blackburn's serving to different parts of the court went a long way in the win over KIVA 16 White. Blackburn attributes her success to being in the gym and getting a lot of reps along with working with setter [player_tooltip player_id='603863' first='Charlotte' last='Hall'] on the sets.    Note from the Writer   Mike Graham has been writing for Prep Dig for one year and has enjoyed getting to know the volleyball scenes in both Kentucky and Ohio. If you liked the story, please copy and paste to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You may also follow us at @prepdigkentucky or @prepdigoh on Instagram in addition to @PrepDigKy or @PrepDigOH on X. If you feel someone in Kentucky or Ohio needs coverage, please email Mike at pnmikeg@yahoo.com. You may also follow him on X @GMCgrah or Instagram @g.michaelgraham. Subscriptions give you access to exclusive content. For a 30% discount, enter code graham30 at checkout.

Coming into the weekend at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, the Elevation 17 Chicas team had finished 17 Open runner-up in the previous three tournaments including the Bluegrass Tournament in the same venue on March 9.