More 17 Open Standouts At Sunshine Classic

<p><em><strong>Be sure to follow @lshotvb on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lshotvb/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">Tik Tok </a>and <a href="https://x.com/LineShotVBall">Twitter</a> for all things volleyball!</strong></em></p>   <p><strong><em><strong><em><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7616085048038526221?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">Is THIS outside hitter the BEST ATTACKER in the COUNTRY?!</a></em></strong></em></strong></p>   <p><strong><em>--</em></strong></p>   <p>Sunshine Classic officially kicked off the qualifier season! And there was simply no better way to kick it off than this!</p>   <p>The 17 Open Division brought in some of the heaviest weights the country had to offer. Some of the best performers from the recent Triple Crown were all on tap.</p>   <p>Championship Sunday saw the clash of the titans with TAV and Winter Park clashing yet again. The two squared off in the semifinals of the Triple Crown NIT and they did so again at the Sunshine Classic. Where TAV took the game and eventually the championship in Kansas City, results were flipped in Winter Park's home court. Austin Performance came in and seemingly shocked the world with their epic run to the championship while Legacy proved yet again, they are top dogs in the field.</p>   <p>The talent pool was deep and the road to the 'ship was epic. Let's take a look at some of the biggest standouts from this year's Sunshine Classic!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Marlee Steiner - HPSTL</h2>   <p>When you are taking cracks at the ball from this sort of height, it is very difficult for anybody to stop. When Marlee Steiner can get the ball in the right stratosphere, she brings down the hammer! Steiner is an undeniable force in the middle for HPSTL. I was impressed with her overall attack range as well as swagger on the court. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Reese Meier - ID Crush</h2>   <p>There's not much that gets me more excited than a wicked lefty on the court. This is my first time seeing Reese Meier in action and I became an immediate fan! Not only is Meier gifted with what seems like a Unicorn-attribute in the sport, but she is treated as the go-to option for this Idaho Crush squad. From either pin or out of the back row, she is your pinnacle opposite, a scoring machine!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jillian Deatherage - ID Crush</h2>   <p>While this isn't your typical middle, what Jillian Deatherage brings to the court is absolute money. Deatherage is a lethal blocker at the net. If she isn't completely shutting down the opposition, she's getting really strong touches that allow her team to surge. On the attack front, Deatherage is the next biggest go-to for Crush. She has a large window to find her in and she's very smart with her scoring. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Elizabeth Bower - ID Crush</h2>   <p>While we've talked a big game about this team's offense, Idaho Crush goes nowhere without the first touch of Elizabeth Bower in the back row. She's touted as one of the best in the game in her position for a reason, and she let that all out on display during her time in Orlando. Her defense was on point and reception was critical to her squad's success.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Keilani Ledaja-Brewer - Triangle</h2>   <p>Anytime this athlete took flight, I wasn't sure when she would be coming back down. Keilani Ledaja-Brewer is surely one of the most athletically gifted players up and coming in the game right now. She has a vertical jump that takes her head and shoulders above her counterparts and she has a punch that can knock out some of the heaviest of heavyweights.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Danielle Lewis - CUVC</h2>   <p>CUVC, I was not so familiar with your game. One of the first to stand out to me from this squad was where the game all starts, the libero position. Danielle Lewis is a prospect that deserves a bit more attention. Lewis brings a lot of calm to the court. Whether she's finding herself in the route of a heavy ball or stepping in fron of her attackers to relieve them in reception duties, Lewis is a presence that really upgrades CUVC.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Riley Caruso - CUVC</h2>   <p>From the first contact to the second, Riley Caruso is one that I found a lot of fun to watch. She's at the perfect height of 5'10, it allows her to be good presence at the net while continuing to run an efficient offense. Caruso likes to push the edge of the envelope in terms of her tempo, running an extremely fast offense. This opening up a whole lot of windows for her hitters to thrive.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lila Martin - CUVC </h2>   <p>When you have an outside hitter like this, it's almost like having another libero out on the court. In all six rotations of the game, Lila Martin brings every attribute you could possibly want in the position. She brings high level ball control, defense while also owning a high IQ as an attacker. While Martin can bring the boom, she has all the crafty shots to score just as efficiently. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Belle Seaman - Iowa United</h2>   <p>Iowa United is another team that I got to see for the first time this weekend, and yet again, I am quite a fan of what is going on here. It all starts with the one who runs the offense, Belle Seaman. Seaman is a setter that has fallen under my radar, but not no more. This setter runs a well-oiled machine and can spread the ball around throughout a variety of routes. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brielle Trout - Iowa United</h2>   <p>If you're looking for the first option in the Iowa United offense, look no further than the big arm of Brielle Trout. This outside hitter can come at you from just about anywhere on the court. At the net, she's lethal on the left pin. From the back row, she is equally as effective, if not more. Trout crushes you from the pipe but runs a really strong D ball.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sarah Giroux - Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>We're really seeing a prospect come into her own as the season goes on and Sunshine was a big one for Sarah Giroux. Despite the team results, the individual results of Giroux's performance does not go unnoticed. She's finding angles at a high clip and building up a resume to be the mainstay in all six rotations for Michigan Elite.</p>   <p>--</p>   <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7608664736950963487?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7597496589356025374">Check out the latest video from </a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7612871256060251422?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7597496589356025374"><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Sunshine Classic</mark></a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7608664736950963487?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7597496589356025374"> on Line Shot!!</a></em></strong></p>   <p></p>

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