Stock Up Showcase: The Freshmen You Need to Know

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/"><strong>More than 150 college coaches shared this article.</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Join PrepDig with 30% off using code "digdakotas30."</strong></a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigdakotas/?hl=en">Follow on Instagram@prepdigdakota</a></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's early in their careers, but some names are worth learning now. The freshman defenders at the Stock Up Showcase gave us plenty of reasons to take notice. They weren't afraid of tough serve receive, covered a ton of court, and showed platforms and defensive instincts well beyond what you'd expect from players this young.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What I liked most was how they competed in the back row. They communicated, took ownership of first contact, and went after balls instead of waiting for the play to come to them. There is still a lot of volleyball ahead for this group, but these are a few freshmen I wouldn't wait to start following.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["784837"],"_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-6a7a68f474783"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='784837' first='Maria' last='Zamfirescu'] had a really clean platform throughout the day. She set her angle, got her feet there early, and controlled the pace without allowing the ball to move her. A lot of her serve receive went right where it needed to, giving the setter plenty to work with. There was very little wasted movement in the way Maria passed. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["954383"],"_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-6a7a68f474833"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='954383' first='Aubree' last='Fuchs'] went after everything. She wasn't afraid to leave her feet, chase outside her zone, or cover behind a teammate when a play started to break down. What I liked was how quickly she got back up after making a dig. She was right back in coverage, looking for the next touch. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1008658"],"_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-6a7a68f4748be"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1008658' first='Gianna' last='Reyes'] did a lot of her work before the ball ever reached her. Her feet were active early, and she worked to get her body behind the serve, which kept her from reaching with her platform. She handled some tough pace and still stayed pretty quiet through contact. Her serve receive looked simple, and that's a good thing. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1010710"],"_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-6a7a68f47493a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1010710' first='Nori' last='Busek'] could move well. Hitters changed speeds, went off hands, or tried to find open court, and Nori kept getting into the play. She moved well outside her starting position and wasn't afraid to chase another zone. There were several balls I thought were down that somehow came back up. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["993177"],"_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-6a7a68f4749bc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='993177' first='Stella' last='Vang'] brought a voice to the back row. You could hear her calling seams, talking through coverage, and taking ownership when the ball was hers. She paired that communication with a steady platform and didn't shy away from serve receive. For a freshman, I liked how comfortable she looked taking charge back there. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["986169"],"_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-6a7a68f474a4c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='986169' first='Giavella' last='Barrientos-Juen'] gave her team more than just a dig. She did an impressive job getting underneath hard-driven swings and controlling the ball instead of letting it fly off her platform. More than once, that first touch was strong enough for the setter to get there and run something back. Those are the defensive touches I kept noticing from Giavella. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thank you to all my readers for making this journey possible. My goal has always been simple: to shine a light on athletes at every level, from Division I to NAIA, and give them a platform to keep chasing their love for the game. Every player deserves a shot, and I'm honored to help tell their stories.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong>Please help us continue to grow this positive platform for players by spreading the word and encouraging your friends to subscribe at PrepDig.com. 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