Camp Digest: Benton Team Camp Part Deux

Trying to catch up a little and wanted to drop some more nuggets from the Benton team camp. I covered several athletes from the first day of camp, I am back with a rundown of day two(sorry for the delay).    One of the players I was most excited to watch was LR Central Middle Ky Davis. The Alabama commit is a player I keyed on late last season and she really took off in club this year. Unfortunately she was being held out for precautions after taking a bump to the head. Always better safe than sorry.   Davis is one of the most exciting players in the state. She possess an athleticism seldom seen in a young athlete. Ky reminds me a lot of former Benton and now Temple star Khenedi Guest. Davis is a force at the net defensively and closes out blocks as well as I have seen. She can take players out of the game, while being able to hit a variety of shots from the middle position. Ky is still a little raw, but has all the tools. With a wide open 6A central, look for Davis to lead the charge for Tigers this fall.     Maddy solidifies her spot as one of the top liberos in the state every time I see her play. She seems to make the court seem smaller with the way she tracks down balls.   Sledge is a master of putting herself in the correct position by reading hitters and knowing their tendencies. Her first ball contact is as good as you will find. The Little Rock Central libero is one of the scrappiest defenders in Arkansas. Quick, instinctive, and always a step ahead, Sledge has a knack for showing up where the ball is about to land instead of where it already is. She is a leader on the court and even though she is only 5'0" she has a BIG personality.     Hard to watch Paragould and not talk about Ava. This was my first time to see her in person and she did not disappoint. Ava is a complete player that works hard to make everyone around her better.   The number 2 player in the state for 2027, Beasley combines the size and agility that will translate well when she heads to North Alabama next fall. But this fall she appears focused to get the Rams to the top of the 5A East. Ava is a talented pin who makes great contact with the ball and beats defenders with a number of different shots. She also has the ability to set and is an accomplished back row player with a great platform. She led Paragould in just about every stat last season but the Rams have a lot of playmakers back from last year that will make them more that a one dimensional team.     Returning alongside Beasley is [player_tooltip player_id='839877' first='Madison' last='Martin']. The looks to cap off her three year varsity career with another solid year. Last season Martin was second in kills. third in aces, second in digs for the Rams. Look for her to have a bigger impact this season with a better hitting percentage.   She was quick on her feet at the camp and was a solid defender on the back row. She has the skill to be a solid option for the Rams and if she continues the trend of improvement like she has the last two seasons, look out for Paragould.     Parker will once again be the engine that drives the Greenbrier offense in 2027. After stepping into the starting setter role last season and recording 652 assists, she's quickly becoming one of the state's rising stars at the position. With nearly every key weapon returning, don't be surprised if those numbers climb even higher.   Lily is simply a volleyball player. She understands the game, communicates constantly, and always seems to know where everyone is supposed to be. Honestly, I'm convinced you could put her in the middle and she'd figure it out by the second set. She could handle just about any role on the floor, but she's invaluable running the offense. With Parker pulling the strings and so much experience returning, expect Greenbrier to be right in the mix with Pulaski Academy and Mount St. Mary's for the top spot in the 5A Central.     [player_tooltip player_id='765967' first='Hadleigh' last='Jones'] is an up-and-coming setter for Greenbrier. I watched her several times this summer, and one word kept coming to mind: relentless. While you may not see her on the varsity court a ton this season with [player_tooltip player_id='774294' first='Lily' last='Parker'] running the offense, Jones is more than capable of being the Panthers' next starting setter.   I could talk about her skill and work ethic, but what impressed me most was her coachability. During one match, her coach pulled her aside and worked with her on using her shoulders to push a set across the court, giving her hitter a better ball to attack. Jones never broke eye contact and soaked up every word. The next time she stepped on the floor, she fired a perfect set across the court, and her hitter put it away. That's the kind of player coaches love—someone who listens, applies what she's taught, and gets better right before your eyes.     Moseley broke out in a monster way as a freshman, finishing with 431 kills, 335 digs, and 37 aces. And if you didn't notice, she's only 5'6". She doesn't let her height define her game. She plays much bigger than that, attacking with confidence and timing that makes defenders forget how tall she is.   I was able to catch part of the Greenbrier-Benton match, and Moseley continually pounded balls to every part of the court. She isn't just swinging hard; she sees the floor, works the block, and knows where the open space is before the ball ever reaches her hand. She plays with a chip on her shoulder, and fearless is probably the best word to describe her. No matter who's across the net or how big the block is, Moseley never backs down.     Braelyn had a very good showing at the Benton Team Camp. It was my first opportunity to watch the Cyclones this season, and Herring is definitely a player I'll be keeping an eye on going forward. She did an excellent job of finding seams in the block and powering several attacks to the floor. What also stood out was her ability to use the block to her advantage, tooling defenders' hands for points instead of simply trying to hit through them.   Herring was quick off the floor and handled out-of-system swings well, turning difficult situations into quality kills. She also competed on both sides of the ball, providing solid defense at the net while holding her own in the back row. The junior put together a strong performance, and after watching the Cyclones, I'm looking forward to seeing them again. They have several players I'd like to spend more time evaluating as the season unfolds.     Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1016012' first='Lilly' last='Hovis'] is another Cyclone who caught my attention. She has the versatility to hit from both pins as well as the middle, giving her coaches plenty of lineup options. Hovis is especially tough at the net, using her timing and instincts to take away angles and make hitters work for every point.   What also impressed me was her all-around game. Lilly doesn't come off the floor just because the ball crosses the net. She digs well, stays engaged defensively, and competes every point. Players with that kind of versatility are valuable because they allow coaches to make adjustments without sacrificing production. Hovis looks ready to take on a bigger role in her senior season and should be one of the leaders for the Cyclones this fall.    I am locating more and more talent everyday. Just like some of the players in this article, many have not been in our database. Help us out by encouraging others to sign up for their free profiles! If you know a player that deserved to be highlighted, I'd love to hear about them. Reach out to me at <a href="mailto:bdsrecruiting10@gmail.com">bdsrecruiting10@gmail.com</a> or connect with me on X (predigRob) and Instagram(@prepdigarrob). Let's continue showcasing the incredible talent Arkansas volleyball has to offer.

Trying to catch up a little and wanted to drop some more nuggets from the Benton team camp. I covered several athletes from the first day of camp, I am back with a rundown of day two(sorry for the delay).