CoachMikeDZ's No Fear Underclassmen Liberos at SoCal Showcase

Prep Dig Showcases are back! We had a huge event that was held at the Momentous Sports Facility on July 31st. These events always bring together athletes from across the state looking to compete in front of college coaches while being evaluated by Prep Dig scouts and court coaches. There were tons of awesome players that we evaluated from their awesome production. Showcases like this continue to provide a valuable platform for athletes to be seen, tested, and recognized for their individual performance and intangibles. Let's take a closer look at a few amazing liberos who caught my eye at the SoCal Stock Up showcase.    Miss Lalezari has really focused on the areas of her game she has been working on, specifically passing consistency and serving and both showed up well at the SoCal Showcase. Her platform was reliable throughout the event and she kept her body behind the ball on serve receive rather than reaching. The pace of the game increased throughout the scrimmage segments and her mechanics did not break down with it. This young lady was not afraid to take charge in the back row during first contact in order to keep her squad in system no matter who was serving against her. She brought an energy to her side of the net from the opening point and kept that consistent even during stretches when the momentum was working against her team. The foundation she is building at Coast and at La Jolla Country Day is one worth watching develop over the next several years.     Sarah is already making her presence felt and the SoCal Showcase gave evaluators outside of the Central Valley a chance to see what that production looks like in a new environment. At 5'6" she brings above-average height to the back row position and uses that length to intercept attacks at angles that shorter defenders typically absorb low rather than handle cleanly. Her reads were sharp throughout the day and she was consistently in good position before the hitter made contact rather than scrambling after the fact. Our scouts evaluating the showcase noted her steadiness under pressure and the composure she maintained when the sets on the other side of the net came at a very fast tempo. She is a player the SoCal recruiting community should be paying attention to heading into her sophomore season. You can tell from the way she plays that she is not afraid of anyone.     You can easily see that Malia has habits she has built competing against older players at the varisty level and they showed up clearly at the SoCal Showcase. Her first step is quick and she commits to her movement direction early, which is the single most important physical indicator of a libero who reads the game rather than reacts to it. You can only obtain that skill by having no fear and going up gainst top talent in practice. The platform she brought to first contact was consistent and angled toward her target rather than just getting the ball airborne, giving her setter usable passes throughout both sessions. She competed with a scrappiness that was easy to appreciate and never took a point off regardless of where the match stood. She caught my eye from the first moment I saw her in the individual positional drills and kept my attention during the scrimmages as well. If you give her a chance, you will love what you see.     Prep Dig scouts have already noted that [player_tooltip player_id='726142' first='Isabella' last='Navarro'] is a smart and steady defender who finds genuine joy in every connection she makes through the game, and the SoCal Showcase was a clear demonstration of both of those things. She processed the floor ahead of the ball throughout the event, reading server tendencies and hitter approach angles before contact happened. It was nice to see that she was not loading her weight and waiting. The energy she brought to her teammates was the other quality that stood out to court coaches throughout the day. She communicated with her body language and her hands with specificity and lifted the players around her with the kind of genuine investment that makes a back row feel cohesive. What really stood out to me was how she hustled everywhere both during the drills and to and from water breaks as well. She truly understands that everything you do on and off of the court must be fast.    As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>. You can also DM me in Instagram and X by searching @CoachMikeDZ. Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family! Don't be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!

Prep Dig Showcases are back! We had a huge event that was held at the Momentous Sports Facility on July 31^st. These events always bring together athletes from across the state looking to compete in front of college coaches while being evaluated by Prep Dig scouts and court coaches. There were tons of awesome players that we evaluated from their awesome production. Showcases like this continue to provide a valuable platform for athletes to be seen, tested, and recognized for their individual performance and intangibles. Let's take a closer look at a few amazing liberos who caught my eye at the SoCal Stock Up showcase.