SLC Showdown Qualifier: Five DS Who Rose Beyond the Elevation

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was a lot to see in Utah last weekend. A lot of the big teams were out. TAV, AZ Storm, MadFrog, A5, everywhere you looked there were stars. I like to take a deeper dive at events so I was looking around all kinds of courts throughout the ballroom and there were a lot of different things to see. I'm going to start in the back row, some of the my favorite DS from the weekend:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["925328"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f656122ec05"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Saw a tough, scrappy, well coached MAVS team on day 1, and honestly it was a tough call which of the Libs to go with in this one. Both of them showed good flashes of platform and consistent passing. In the end, Addisyn showed a bit more range and had a great game the one I got to watch, so I'm giving her the nod. She was quick along the back and did a good job battling some very tough shots from both sides. The team they faced had equal danger from both the OH and the RS, and she did a good job keeping an eye on both and playing from both angles. Late in the game when the strategy shifted from taking the hard shots to playing the tips in the middle, she did a good job adjusting and keeping plays alive that looked like sure kills. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["443003"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f656122ecb6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Got to see a lot of her at the showcase on Friday night, so I went to hunt her down during the qualifier to get a bit more of a look at her in game situations. She's played all around earlier in her career and in HS, at the next level she's probably a back row player, but I won't lock in on that, I've seen crazier happen. All I know is in the back row she's solid, and covers a lot of ground, doing a good job of keeping her team in the game. A team that won the American Blue Division and earned their bid to Nationals. I think the trait I like the most about her is her serving, she's got an absolutely filthy topspin serve that is tough to get to. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["808878"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f656122ed33"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">And here is where I start earning the big bucks. It's absolutely appalling Kylee isn't all over the top watch lists somewhere. She's playing for a tough Colorado Juniors team, and playing up a year since she's a 2028. June 15th that phone better be ringing off the hook though. Her Lib skills are fantastic, good reads, quick, covers the tip well, but her serving skills are on another level. She's got great movement on her float serve, but her control and accuracy is something I didn't see anywhere else, including all of the open bracket. I watched her hit the corner where the tape meets on 5 consecutive serves, it was another level, especially with a serve that moves. This girl is legit, and if there aren't D1s on speed dial, they need to be. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["603194"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f656122edac"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ok, no surprises here, I know, but I got to watch a lot of her this weekend and just wanted to jump on the bandwagon before I have to watch her on TV. This girl is the truth. Obviously, if she's the no. 1 DS In all of AZ, which is no slouch for Volleyball, but the speed that she plays the game is just next level. I've seen some really quick girls cover a lot of ground, but generally there's some diving and some pancakes involved. Our girl can cover that ground, but can do it standing up and be on to the next play before people even realize what happened. I guess you expect that when you're talking about a Nebraska commit and heir to one of the greatest Lib situations in the country, but man, watching her is fun. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["754613"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f656122ee08"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Charlotte should probably get more love than she does, being in 15s, it's prime time for her and she's ready for more spotlight. She's done it all. Nationals. JVA Watch List. AAU. UA Next. She's a solid DS and the backbone of the defense for this team which has played VERY well this year for one with so much turnover. She's going into prime recruitment season this summer, and it'll be interesting to see where she lands, she clearly has the game for the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Can't win without defense, and it starts with the DS. Not giving them enough attention or appreciation is a mistake, shorter players can also contribute to the National Title picture, we don't need to be in a place where we are excluding more than half the available population because of their height, when agility, vertical leap, arm length, reflex, passing and IQ are all big components of players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->