Lakeridge Tournament: Stand Out Middles and Pins

On Saturday, October 4, half a dozen teams gathered at Lakeridge High School to compete in a small but tough tournament. Starting early in the morning and playing late into the afternoon, six teams from all over the PNW played to beat other teams and rise in rankings. Here are the middle and pin hitters that showed up and stood out:    McCauley, a senior middle for Sunset, is not only a strong option in the middle, but makes hard and aggressive swings on the pins when it is needed. She closes the block, covering ground and taking away space. Her serves scores her points, as does her consistent attacks.     Poole, a senior middle for Beaverton, has wonderful timing on her blocks, closing and creating a wall. She finds deep corners on her swings, working defenses and scoring points. She runs an efficient fast quick in the middle, keeping up with tempo and the speed of the game.     Dehnert, a senior for Beaverton, is an undersized but power middle. She closes to her pins when blocking, getting touches and stuff blocks whenever she can. she runs fast quicks in the middle, scoring a ton of points for her team. She doesn't break under pressure, stepping up and playing to her potential in tight situations.     Combs, a senior outside hitter for South Eugene, has a stellar swing down the line, taking most defense's by surprise. You may think there is no room for her to swing, but she finds a way and puts the ball down. She carries her aggressiveness to the back row where she jump serves consistently, putting on the pressure to whomever is passing her serve.     Mastrantonio, a senior outside for Century High, is incredibly active at the net, timing balls well and swinging away when she gets the chance. She pushes points in tight spots, attacking the ball carefully, but not cautiously. Her eye work allows her to see the ball and act accordingly, both on defense and offense.     Oberst, a junior outside for Century, is a consistent pin, transitioning hard and getting up in the air to swing. She has a great sharp cut to zone 4, taking defense by surprise. She remains open to her setter, giving her a greater hitting range and allowing her to make those hard cuts.     West, a sophomore for Lakeridge High, is a great pin hitter, using her height and vertical to her advantage. She has a high reach, allowing her to hit over some blocks and immediately score points. She hits deep corners, finding spots on the court that lack passers.     Reed, a senior outside for Lakeridge, has a wonderful aggressive swing, taking charge on the net and owning the court. She makes move to the ball when it is out of system, staying open and available. Her high reach and large vertical ceiling make her a great outside and a go-to hitter for her setters.

On Saturday, October 4, half a dozen teams gathered at Lakeridge High School to compete in a small but tough tournament. Starting early in the morning and playing late into the afternoon, six teams from all over the PNW played to beat other teams and rise in rankings. Here are the middle and pin hitters that showed up and stood out: