Classics in the 17/18 Open at Can Am

<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><em><strong><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7634737446969691423?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7621309005139035661" id="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7634737446969691423?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7621309005139035661"><em><strong>What Happens when you get a court full of D1 Commits? See for yourself... </strong></em></a></strong></em><strong><strong><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7634737446969691423?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7621309005139035661" id="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7634737446969691423?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7621309005139035661">📍 🤯 </a></strong></strong></p>   <p><strong><em>--</em></strong></p>   <p>The Can Am Classis has come and gone! This year's edition of the international clash was truly one for the books.</p>   <p>The Midwest teams in attendance, once again, showed up, showed out and dominated. In the 17/18 Open Division, we had a flurry of fun story lines that included Circle City's 17 Black (17-2s) taking down one of the top rated teams in the country. Michigan Elite's 16 Mizuno (16-1) had themselves an upset win over a ranked squad to earn a berth into the higher age division. The competition was red hot here.</p>   <p>Let's break it all down of who all shined the brightest. There are plenty of names to discuss, be sure to check out these athletes!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='807987' first='Kaylen' last='Plunkard'] - Circle City</h2>   <p>Leading the charge for the Circle City upset win in 17/18 Open this weekend was this Northern Michigan bound outside attacker. [player_tooltip player_id='807987' first='Kaylen' last='Plunkard'] was absolutely lights out all weekend long, but especially in the championship. She had the midas touch with her high corner line shot and her defense left Legacy head scratching throughout the match.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='443851' first='Ali' last='Nobbe'] - Circle City</h2>   <p>Opposite of Punkard, [player_tooltip player_id='443851' first='Ali' last='Nobbe'] gave Circle City a nonstop arsenal attack from the left side of the court. This player was finding all of the open spots there were on the court. Her bread and butter was putting some pace to the deep pockets of the court and it created a lot of struggle for her opponents in the championship.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='443864' first='Chloe' last='Moss'] - Circle City</h2>   <p>With how well Circle was defending and passing, getting this slugger in the middle the ball was a no problem, easy point. [player_tooltip player_id='443864' first='Chloe' last='Moss'] is one of those extremely frustrating middles to play against. Not the biggest, but she is the most difficult to stop because of her airtime. Moss's presence went beyond her scoring stats as her in the front row allowed Circle to operate with consistent holes in the oppositions' block.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='436889' first='Sophia' last='Smith'] - Legacy</h2>   <p>This player is possibly one of the most underrated or under-talked about in this class. She wasn't the flashiest to begin her career, but [player_tooltip player_id='436889' first='Sophia' last='Smith']'s surge in play has been the difference for Legacy. That was on full display this weekend. While her offensive and net prowess is nothing new to what we have seen for the last 12 months, Smith got to show off her tricks in the back court. While they may have been down, Legacy is never out and with Smith performing this way, it gives another wrinkle for the squad to play with in the upcoming championship season.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Charley Gardner - Legacy</h2>   <p>Charley Gardner may be the ultimate DS or O2 option on the court. Her play in middle back allows for so many different opportunities for Legacy, it's not highlighted nearly enough. She has a long reach that allows her to get balls most DS/L cannot. While having that natural attribute, it also allows Gardner to be a scoring option or six rotation player if needed.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frankie Ramsdell-Washington - Legacy</h2>   <p>Much like CC's Ross, Legacy has their own springy sensation in the middle with Frankie Ramsdell-Washington. When this player gets up and throws down, it's an immediate highlight. She fills the the position of an M2 so effectively with her scoring efficiency in front of the setter. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='569773' first='Skylar' last='Ignash'] - Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>We're starting to see more and more of what [player_tooltip player_id='569773' first='Skylar' last='Ignash'] is made of out on the pins and this weekend was a clear sign that there is a lot under the surface to her play. This is a 10'2 touching, multi-sport athlete that is new to the position. If there is any time to have some sort of breakthrough, it is now. Ignash played a crucial role in Michigan Elite's upset win over Legacy 16-1 Adidas scoring at an insane level from both pins.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='809557' first='Brooklyn' last='Beardsley'] - Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>Speaking of breakthrough weekends, this one was a big outing for [player_tooltip player_id='809557' first='Brooklyn' last='Beardsley'] in the middle. From all aspects of her game, this was maybe the best Beardsley has played all season. Her blocking was on point and she's showcasing an exciting development on her slide attack. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='644157' first='Addison' last='Bultynck'] - Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='644157' first='Addison' last='Bultynck'] has steadily found herself to be this team's offensive backbone throughout the season. This weekend was nothing new, but if anything, looked to see Bultnyck operating on a whole other level. Bultnyck is soaring through the air and snapping on top of the ball to create some incredible angles. Her play in the back court is also something to admire as she becomes more of a vocal leader.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587006' first='Hope' last='Purwadihardja'] - Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>If you're looking for a Swiss army knife in the back court, look no further than [player_tooltip player_id='587006' first='Hope' last='Purwadihardja']. Mostly seen in the right back of the court, Purwadihardja brings just about everything you'd want from the position and then some. While she brings your typical attributes of the position, she was adding in some clutch serving runs throughout the weekend and is providing some great back up setting to allow her team to remain in system.</p>

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