Frosty Warmup 15 Open Hitters

As club season has now officially begun, the 15's open division certainly showcased their talent and promising potential. All the hitters listed in this article all have one thing in common: they bring the heat and make the difference. One of the highlights this tournament was seeing the youngest team in the gym, Club V 14 Prodigy Silver, make it to the championship match and hold their own. Club Sand 15 Leão took home the gold, leaving behind an impressive display of dominance throughout the tournament.    [player_tooltip player_id='846622' first='Meilani' last='Akana'] was undoubtedly the star of the tournament and proved to be one of the top talents in her class. She is a powerful pin with impressive strength, range, and skill. Meilani has a fast transition and explosive approach that helps her elevate and score. Overall she performs at a very high clip and will continue to dominate this season.   Meilani plays for Sand 15 Leão and also has national team experience for the U15 and U17 Team for Brazil.     15 Leão   [player_tooltip player_id='903667' first='Kova' last='Symkoviak'] is an athlete who is already on the radar of quite a few big programs. At her age, she is already touching above 10ft and taking impressive swings. She is a vertical athlete who capitalizes when she gets on top of the ball. Her natural strength and athleticism elevate her game and have helped continue her development. One of the highlights of her game is that she is not bound to playing one position.   This weekend, her team was missing one of their middles, and even though it is not her main position, Kova was a great option for her team. She is fluid across the net, and her vertical abilities help create positive touches in defense and absolutely detonate balls. Kova is a player that you do not want to miss.     14 Prodigy Silver   [player_tooltip player_id='933786' first='Mara' last='Wright'] is an athlete I love watching play. Despite being undersized, she does not let that stop her. Her competitive edge and willingness to take risks in tight moments distinguish her as a flat out "baller".   A few times this weekend, her team found themselves with their backs against the wall with the odds stacked against them, but Mara never seemed afraid or bothered by that fact. She continued to swing high and swing hard to which she found a lot of success. She is super athletic, versatile, and dynamic with a hard working spirit.   Her coaches this year both complimented her willingness to play whatever position they need her to and the impact she brings to every match. Mara is an athlete that I am thrilled to continue watching this season and seeing how she continues to develop.     15 Leão   Madi is a player I have written about a couple of times, but to summarize, she has a solid foundation of ball control as a defender, passer, and as an attacker. She is strong with natural power and has consistent contact and reach.   Her experience playing on the sand shines through on defense when Madi is making reads to play the ball and find different areas to score in. She has a good selection of shots that she is great at utilizing consistently and her natural abilities as an athlete overall make her a great asset for the teams she plays for.     15 Prodigy Steph   Lena Liava'a is an exceptionally athletic pin who is fast, has solid power, and a springy jump. One of the aspects of her game that really stood out to me is her anticipatory nature and intuitive understanding of the game. In several moments during a few games, Lena would make great reads early on defense and execute on a dime. She understands how to manipulate her platform angles to create good passes and high quality digs. With more time and reps this season, she will become even more of an incredible ball control passer.   Lena has played for a few smaller, local clubs and while she is still adjusting to the training style and speed of a true 1's team, she is doing extremely well adapting and learning. Her coach this season compliments her ability to learn, be coachable, and get uncomfortable to get better faster. As a teammate, she is a kind person who prides herself on the relationships she has with all of her teammates.   Right now, Lena touches 9'10.5" with the expectation of hitting 10' in the next few months.     14 Prodigy Silver   Lille Hewlett seems to get better and better every time I see her play. She has a good foundation of mechanics and innate power that establishes her as a promising talent. Her long arm and ability to swing high consistently make her a consistent force for her team this season.   This tournament, Lillie played on both the right and left and did a good job executing her blocking assignments and taking high-level, controlled swings when she was out of system. Even though she is still learning the game and establishing consistency, she is very coachable and makes good adjustments when she is on the court.     15 Prodigy Steph   [player_tooltip player_id='894189' first='Xandra' last='Forsyth'] was also a clear standout this tournament. Last year she was on a 3's team and now this season she is on the 1's and arguably her team's best hitter. Her power, reach, and skill as a rightside establish her as a formidable pin in the making.   Xandra repeatedly found a way to better tough balls that were not there for her to swing away at. But for the sets that were there, she was extremely terminal. She can swing hard down the line, in the deep 1/6 seam, or sharp angle at the setter. As a blocker, she does a good job at slowing down hitters and putting up a strong block. Her growth and development have been awesome to watch and it makes me excited to see how she will continue to grow.     15 Prodigy Kyle(Drew)   [player_tooltip player_id='922807' first='Grace' last='Webre'] is a hard-working outside. She generates good power and elevates well to create high swings off and around the block. In my time watching her play, not only has her skill as a pin vastly grown, but her confidence on the court has as well.   Grace is starting to get more comfortable taking risks in her attacks when she's out of system and off balance. She gets her feet to the ball and takes quality swings. She has a solid foundation as a passer and with the reps and time she has, Grace is getting she is only going to improve in that area.     15 Prodigy Steph   I have written about Lexi a few times now, but to reiterate, she has a strong foundation for all skills. As an attacker, whatever set she is given, she knows how to manage, but also how to score with it. That skill takes a great deal of time and deliberate repetition to develop and execute in a game setting, and her ability to do so highlights the dedication she has invested in developing it with confidence.   Her competitive nature and drive to become the best that she can be, motivate her every time she steps on a court --whether that be for a practice or a game.     15 Prodigy Steph   [player_tooltip player_id='933487' first='Paisley' last='Fuller'] continues to surprise me. She has a lot of bright spots in her game that make her standout and showcase her growth and skill as an attacker. This weekend she showed a stronger ability to pass under pressure and take risks as an attacker. There were several balls that she was given that most attackers would send a free ball on, but Paisley will take a risk and swing with good pace behind the ball. When she is given line and on top of the ball, there is no getting that ball up. With the time she has, she will only continue getting better and growing even more consistent.

As club season has now officially begun, the 15's open division certainly showcased their talent and promising potential. All the hitters listed in this article all have one thing in common: they bring the heat and make the difference. One of the highlights this tournament was seeing the youngest team in the gym, Club V 14 Prodigy Silver, make it to the championship match and hold their own. Club Sand 15 Leão took home the gold, leaving behind an impressive display of dominance throughout the tournament.