Uncommitted 2027s Watchlist: DS' Dominating the game

Sometimes it's easy for people to overlook DS' just because of set expectations. They're expected to make the great passes and always be light on their feet and super speedy. And although those are key parts of their job, being a standout DS goes far beyond their basic capabilities. A good DS should be capable of those things, but a great DS takes their role to a whole new level. They lead their team by setting the pace of the game and always being the ones to overly communicate to their team. They are the ones who have studied and played the game so much that their court awareness and ability to read their opponents are through the roof. Lastly, they are some of the most selfless players on the court because they will be the ones to throw their body all over the court, just to keep their team alive.   There is such an intense depth within this position, but I wanted to shout out a few uncommitted 2027 DS' that have been great contributors and strong leaders on the court. For more coverage and to stay up to date on the athletes I'm covering, make sure to follow my Instagram @Prepdigmarissa    Starting strong, we have Lexi Stilwell from Pleasant Valley. Lexi is a standout DS who has been a consistent staple on both her club and high school teams over the years. Stilwell plays with an amazing balance of calmness and urgency. Although she is among many other talented passers at PV, she still always finds a way to stand out. She does so by her insane amount of grit and determination. There have been quite a few times when I've thought there was no chance of the ball getting up. Yet there Stillwell was, laying out and managing to keep the hardest-driven balls in the air.     [player_tooltip player_id='759979' first='Julianna' last='Montez'] is a libero from Muscatine that you truly just can't take your eyes off of. Not only is she one heck of a player, but she also brings that energy that you love to see. You can tell Montez has a love and a passion for the game like no other. Julianna has made everlasting impacts on her varsity program as well as her club teams.     [player_tooltip player_id='807931' first='Emmy' last='Burkhart'] is another ds who plays among phenomenal athletes both in club and high school. However, it doesn't take long to notice her after seeing her steadiness in serve receive and her ability to cover a good amount of the court. She has a strong role for the Knights and does her job extremely well. She and the other ds' for Assumption work exceptionally well together, and she plays a big role in their stellar defense. You can tell there is a lot of respect for Burkhart from her coaches and teammates.     Addison Alleman is another Spartan who has shown what it truly means to be a leader. Like I said before, being a standout goes far beyond your skill set, and Alleman is a prime example. This kid has to be one of the most selfless volleyball players in the state. There has never been a time when I've seen this kid put herself above her team. She is always the first to pick up a teammate when they're down. She will always be the loudest one on the court and will always find ways to guide her team.     [player_tooltip player_id='758841' first='Madalyn' last='Kramer'] is a DS/L from Linn-Mar who does her part and does it extremely well. There hasn't really been a skill set that Kramer doesn't do well in. Her float serve is nasty and tough to adjust to. She moves extraordinarily well on serve receive. Defensively, she reads her hitters well, is light on her feet, and she covers her hitters well. I was also very impressed with her out-of-system setting throughout the club season. Her sets stayed consistent no matter where she was on the court.     [player_tooltip player_id='1036948' first='Macy' last='Fuller'] is a standout libero from Solon whose gameplay is stellar. She manages to play at a high level and make it look effortless (in the best way possible). She does a fantastic job of creating clean first contacts, and she does a fantastic job of covering most of the court. Fuller is another one who doesn't expect recognition; she just wants to be the best she can be for her team. She will always be the first to celebrate and hype her teammates up. Macy also does a great job of leading by holding her team accountable and always pushing to be better.

Sometimes it's easy for people to overlook DS' just because of set expectations. They're expected to make the great passes and always be light on their feet and super speedy. And although those are key parts of their job, being a standout DS goes far beyond their basic capabilities. A good DS should be capable of those things, but a great DS takes their role to a whole new level. They lead their team by setting the pace of the game and always being the ones to overly communicate to their team. They are the ones who have studied and played the game so much that their court awareness and ability to read their opponents are through the roof. Lastly, they are some of the most selfless players on the court because they will be the ones to throw their body all over the court, just to keep their team alive.