Six NW Standouts from Triple Crown Summer NIT

The Triple Crown Summer NIT in Mesa, AZ, is a competitive tournament that attracts a great field primarily from the Western part of the country. It is a terrific option for teams headed to either AAU or USAV Nationals, and as a bonus, you don't play over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.   Space Needle 17 Blitz finished in a tie for 5th place at the tournament in Mesa, AZ. The team gave 2nd-place finisher Vision 17 Gold a battle in their tournament-ending loss, dropping the match in two sets, 25-21, 25-23.   The Dakine 17 National squad had an excellent overall tournament, finishing 8-1 with just a single loss to 2nd overall Vision 17 Gold. The tournament is unique- and that single loss in their 5th match dropped Dakine to the Elite Division. The best finish possible- 17th place. Four wins in a row later, Dakine took home the Elite Division Championship and 17th place.    Smith is an excellent all-around six-rotation outside. She passes, defends, and is an efficient and prolific scorer. She was all over Omni 17 National, breaking out crafty roll shots, a perfect two-handed push to the corner, and ripping kills off defenders' hands and platforms. Western Washington has one of the best headed their way when Smith completes her high school and club volleyball career.       Williams worked hard to close the block for SNVF 17 Blitz at the Summer NIT- the 6'2" middle from Lynnwood throws down 50/50 balls at the net confidently with two hands and works extremely hard to be available in transition. Williams combines with a long, talented group of front-row players for Space Needle. The team plays a 6-2, and all the middles and right sides are tremendous blockers. The 2027 prospect has shown the ability to turn her swing around the block hard in either direction and see the open space to score with soft tips.     Solomua is the catalyst for her Dakine 15 National Pink team. The setter from Lakes is all over the court each match making plays- throwing sets pin to pin, scoring, and defending at a high level. Along with her fellow S/RS [player_tooltip player_id='726103' first='Presley' last='Messersmith'], Solomua gives Dakine high-level play and versatility in the lineup. Solomua and Dakine will play in the National Division at USAV Nationals later this summer.     Athena 15 Gold faced some terrific teams at Summer NIT. They battled hard, finishing with just a single victory, but also dropped close matches, including a 25-22, 36-34 loss to a good TX Legacy 15 Elite squad. Wisbeck plays hard every second she is on the court, getting into transition, finding the seams with her swings, and slowing down opposing attackers with her steady blocking. She will continue to grow her game by playing for Camas and Athena and has an excellent upside as a prospect.       Lohrman splits the DS and Libero duties for NPJ Salem 16 National- she plays with reckless abandon and sells out to get to any ball she can. The Sprague High School prospect is a physical defender; she can hang in against big swings and make emergency plays on deflections and tips with either hand. NPJ Salem 16 National finished 18th overall with a 7-2 record- an excellent record against a tough 16's Division.     Walker was excellent at the libero position for Space Needle; the team finished 5th overall, and the Monroe prospect showed her elite quickness and excellent setting from the libero spot. She shares the libero position with Kenzie Bentosito, and it's a terrific pair of playmakers on the backline for Space Needle. Walker can cover ground and skillfully pancake up a tip, and she stays low and works hard to be in position to cover her attackers.

The Triple Crown Summer NIT in Mesa, AZ, is a competitive tournament that attracts a great field primarily from the Western part of the country. It is a terrific option for teams headed to either AAU or USAV Nationals, and as a bonus, you don't play over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.