Kicking Off The 2026 Season With Stars In The Making

As the first big tournament of the season got under way with a paid entry to Nationals for the winners, the Lexington Open in Kentucky was a buzz with excitement and loaded up with talent! We explored ages 14 to 16 and were impressed by how ready the majority of the clubs were to start the season with a bang! Here's who impressed on day 1, more coverage to follow!    Elizabeth looks to have a bright future ahead of her, she puts out a solid performance and can bring some heat which we saw consecutively over the two days. She has excellent court IQ and gives herself ample room to make big plays, followed by big swings with an impressive approach with a super quick release showing good ball control including an uber impressive cross court bomb that she dropped readily. She has a solid block and provides ample coverage for her front line. An all-around rotation player she was equally as impressive in the back row digging and getting the ball up into player. An enthusiastic player who was a pillar for her team. Loved her play both days!     Anna once again stood out in a convention center full of athletes. She plays with a mature quality and a boat load full of talent. She has an explosive swing that reveals perfect contact with the ball and she had excellent placement on the court to rack up points. She can modify those hits deep or down the line displaying excellent placement. She is an all around rotation player who can dig up a ball, return a hard hit with a solid platform, serve up aces and be readily available to connect with the setter. She is a humble player who takes accountability on the court and has a great drive. She brings her A game.     [player_tooltip player_id='882181' first='Tylah' last='Walker'] has grown into a player that you know is going to succeed at the next level. She plays with an amazing attitude taking direction well and applying to her raw ability which is abundant. She follows the game moving quickly with good reflexes and puts herself in the best possible spot to make that connection with the setter and make kills. She has an impressive vertical with a fantastic approach and a quick release getting on top of the ball to get a fantastic downward trajectory. She is equally impressive on the block solo or in tandem with excellent height and timing and can dig a ball up that seems lost as she plays a full rotation. Her serves are mean, she is an enthusiastic player and supports her teammates well. Star power!     Avery is a young prospect that shows a ton of potential already showing she understands the game and is honing her skills that are plentiful. She has a great swing incorporating all the fundamentals with excellent strength and ball control. She shows strong court IQ reading the play and executed some perfect down balls to be a solid front line player. She gets up for the block with good timing and moves easily up and down the net. She serves up aces with a well-controlled serve with good placement. She is a hustler on the court and takes direction well. We can't wait to see more!     Corinne can deliver for her team, and she does, even though she may fly under the radar with her uber talented team. But make no mistake she fits right in, she has a super cross court swing that is text book and lights up the scoreboard for her team repetitively. She has a great approach, makes herself available, and calls out for the ball showing a good connection with her setter and good confidence with the goods to back it up. Her swing is fast, with a good release coming from a good vertical hitting different spots on the court. She can close out the block with good timing and good reach and provides good cover on the frontline and will sneakily tip to a sweet spot with accuracy. She has great court IQ and supports her teammates on the court. We look forward to seeing more court time for her this season, predicting it to be a breakout one for her!

As the first big tournament of the season got under way with a paid entry to Nationals for the winners, the Lexington Open in Kentucky was a buzz with excitement and loaded up with talent! We explored ages 14 to 16 and were impressed by how ready the majority of the clubs were to start the season with a bang! Here's who impressed on day 1, more coverage to follow!