Next-Level Players from the Freshman Showcase

The Freshman Showcase was packed with talent and new athletes to add to my radar. These players impressed me in every possible way and stood out for their intangibles and physical talent. They truly took the game to the next level every time they stepped on the court.    Maia was an unstoppable force on the pin. She can do it all - from defense and serve receive, to offense, and more. Maia was a relentless and gritty athlete on the court who took massive rips on both pins. She has an explosive approach and a very high volleyball IQ. Maia had an impact on every play she was a part of, from her block touches to her speed in transition, to covering her teammates. She was a highly talented pin who will be an athlete to watch in this class.     Tejay was so well-rounded as a setter and right side. She primarily set throughout the showcase, but that does not mean that her training on the right side wasn't felt. She was a dynamic blocker during drills and was consistently getting great defensive touches in the front and back row. Tejay is the type of athlete whose energy alone makes a difference on the court. When she rotated onto a new court during hitting reps, her spark of energy and high-level communication had an immediate impact on the level of play. Tejay was so impressive in every aspect of the game.     Brooklyn put in huge hustle on the court. She got her hands on nearly every ball she could and was not afraid to take risks and set against the grain. Brooklyn was confident and aggressive with her sets and was a natural leader on the court. She impressed me from start to finish and was always able to step into a drill and make a difference from the first point.     Avery showed a lot of grit throughout the showcase. She was the type of player who found ways to get the job done. She shined on defense and never let anything past her without battling for the ball. The same went for her offense. If Avery got a set, she was working to do something smart with it, no matter where the set landed, she found a way to make it work for her.     Norah had a massive impact at the showcase. She brought power and explosiveness to the right side position. Norah never missed a beat, and what really made her stand out was that she had great ball control and wasn't afraid to take swings out of the back row. Norah excelled in all of the drills, including playing in all six rotations and from both pins, not just in positional work. She is a lethal offensive weapon who also has a great foundation of fundamentals.     Addyson impressed me right from the get-go at the showcase. She came out swinging hard in warm-ups and never slowed down. She was relentless on offense and had a competitive mindset on the court. Her ability to terminate on the pin was impressive. Every time she was on the court, she made a difference.     Audrina was a pin who never missed a beat on the court. From her clean pass to her explosive offense, she was a huge impact athlete. Audrina was always hungry for the ball, and she terminated with a giant arm swing and snap. She was consistently powerful and could power through and around blocks. Audrina had good court awareness on both offense and defense and was a very well-rounded athlete on the pin.     Gretchen was nothing short of incredible at the Showcase. Middles had an incredibly hard job, forging connections with setters quickly, blocking pin to pin in every drill with minimal breaks, and transitioning on every play. Gretchen not only showed her endurance and competitiveness throughout the event, but she also had great court awareness and a high volleyball IQ. She never took a play off and was shutting down opposing hitters with her block and getting excellent defensive touches. She was also a power hitter on offense.     Lexi showed maturity and a high volleyball IQ on the court. She always seemed ot know how to handle the chaos of the game, which gave her side of the court an edge during gameplay. Lexi did all of the little things right, from her consistent out-of-system sets to her footwork and movement on serve receive. This sets her apart in a massive way and allows her to make even the toughest balls look easy while being able to cover large areas of the court on defense and serve receive.

The Freshman Showcase was packed with talent and new athletes to add to my radar. These players impressed me in every possible way and stood out for their intangibles and physical talent. They truly took the game to the next level every time they stepped on the court.