Day 2 Epic Tournament

Day 2 was were all the action happened! 7 champions were crowned in their 7 divisions and we got a chance to see some more teams who were at other locations the day before. The tournament had some intense volleyball as we progressed through each divisions bracket play, and saw a number of matches go the distance. I tried not to double up on teams that I wrote about on day 1, as we have a 104 teams we were able to see so this article will feature 10 players from 10 teams we didn't write about on day 1. Big thank you to Epic Tourneys for hosting such a big tournament and having us be there!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Division Winners:</h2>   Cactus: Desert Vista beat Basha 2-0   Canyon: PCDS beat Thunderbird 2-0   Citrus: NWC beat Monument Valley 2-0   Cotton: Ben Franklin beat Dobson 2-0   Copper: Mogollon beat South Mountain 2-1   Cattle: Gilbert Classical beat Douglas 2-1   Climate: Salome beat Bourgade Catholic 2-0    Gabrielle was a libero who was not on our radar coming into the tournament, but after her performance, she certainly is now. She was all over the court for SJP, consistently getting high-quality touches in both serve receive and defense. Her movement was fast and precise, and you rarely saw her waste any motion as she read the game and got herself into position. She showed excellent control in serve receive, giving her setters quality passes and helping keep the offense in system. Gabrielle was also a good server, putting pressure on opponents and adding another valuable element to her game. Overall, her combination of athletic movement, defensive instincts, serve-receive consistency, and serving ability made her one of the liberos who caught our attention throughout the tournament and made her a big time standout on Day 2.     ALA lost a tough three way tiebreaker on Day 1, but that didn't slow them down on Saturday as they battled their way to a consolation finals victory. Going 2-0 on Saturday, Emma was a big reason for the Eagles' success with her all around impact at the net and from the service line. Emma has the build of a true middle blocker, standing well over 6 feet with long arms that allow her to get well over the net and take away a lot of space from opposing hitters. She does a good job handling opposing middles one on one and uses her length to create problems for hitters at the net. Offensively, she has a nice variety to her attack and can run multiple different shots and tempos to find ways to score. Her serving was another major asset, as she recorded several aces while consistently putting pressure on opposing passers and forcing them to make tough plays. Emma's all around play made it real easy for ALA GN to go 2-0 on day 2, and she was a standout for not only them, but for the tournament as well.     Sophia had a great overall tournament and was a major reason Thunderbird made its way to the championship match. She was a force offensively, attacking from all areas of the floor while maintaining a high level of efficiency. Whether she was taking swings from the front row, attacking out of the back row, or handling out-of-system situations, Sophia consistently found ways to produce and put pressure on the opposing defense. She also contributed at the net with solid blocking, showing good timing and the ability to take away space from opposing hitters. Beyond her attacking, she was steady from the service line and reliable in serve receive, giving the Titans another dependable option in all phases of the game throughout the evening. Sophia is no stranger to being a standout for her team, and should continue to have a strong senior season for Thunderbird and was a clear standout on day 2.     Sarah was able to do a little bit of everything for her team throughout the tournament. I saw her passing in serve receive, attacking from the outside, running the setter position, and playing at a high level defensively regardless of where she was in the back row. Sarah is the type of player who can fill just about any role her team needs, and at this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see her in a libero jersey at this rate. When she was setting, she showed good feel for the position, making smart decisions with the ball and doing a nice job putting her hitters in position to succeed. She was also electric with her swings, consistently putting a lot of pace behind the ball to beat blocks and defenders. When she wasn't scoring points herself, she was creating opportunities for her teammates with her setting and all around play. Her versatility, athleticism, and ability to impact the game in so many different ways make her a valuable piece for her team and a day 2 standout as well.     Aubrey is a high level pin hitter who is doing everything you want from an outside hitter and was the top point scorer for Mica Mountain throughout the weekend. She was a dominant offensive force, scoring a ton of points and consistently finding ways to put pressure on opposing defenses. I would be willing to say she may have been the best pin I saw over the course of the weekend. Aubrey has a fast arm swing and gets up well on her approaches, allowing her to attack the ball with pace and authority. She swings with purpose but also does a great job taking what the defense gives her rather than forcing the issue. Her court IQ really stood out, as she seemed to find open spots and exploit defensive gaps more often than not. She also showed that she is more than just an offensive weapon, playing solid defense and providing a reliable presence in serve receive. Her ability to contribute in every phase of the game made her a clear standout at the Epic Tourney.     If you haven't had a chance to watch this 1A school play, you are really missing out as they have a ton of talent and are going for their 4th straight state finals this year! One mainstay from the last 4 years and a standout from the tournament was their middle blocker Kate. She is able to do all the aspects we love to see out of a middle hitter, she hits with purpose, can run multiple tempo sets and to a high level, and blocks extremely well for a middle as well. On the offensive side she scores efficiently, hitting her angles and taking what the defense gives her. She also has a good off speed game, and can get a good tip shot in there as well. Defensivly she looked sharp all weekend getting from pin to pin and closing down blocks and angles from opposing hitters. She got a ton of touches and blocks throughout the course of the weekend. She was a great player to watch at Epic and a standout for sure.     Charlize had a great tournament in helping NWC win the title. She was on the outside for the majority of the tournament, or at least whenever I was watching, and she showed that she is a very strong hitter on the pin. Charlize was often the hitter they turned to in tight situations or when they needed someone to end a rally, and she consistently delivered. She has great explosion on the outside, getting up well off the ground and using her athleticism to find ways to score against the block and defense. She also did well in serve receive, providing a steady option for her team and keeping her team in system more times than not. At the net, she showed good ability as a blocker, using her athleticism and timing to take away angles and make it difficult for opposing hitters to score. Overall, a great tournament and a clear standout in her teams title run at the Epic Tourney.     Zoe is a fun setter to watch, as she plays the position at a high level and consistently puts the ball in a good location for her hitters to attack. One of the most impressive parts of her game is how well she can set out of system. She always seemed to find a way to get her hands on difficult balls and turn them into quality sets, often putting her hitters in positions that looked almost like an in system attack. Her hands are soft, and she gets a lot of push behind the ball, allowing her to move the offense from pin to pin with good pace and consistency. Zoe also showed good awareness and athleticism defensively, making plays when she was asked to cover ground and keep rallies alive. From the service line, she was another reliable option, putting pressure on opposing passers and helping her team create scoring opportunities. Her ability to run an offense while still contributing in the other phases of the game makes her a very complete setter and a standout not only on day 2, but for the tourney.     Harper is doing well over at Horizon Honors as a hitter. She is someone who can score for them in a number of ways and she really is good about taking what the defense gives her and scoring with not only swings, but also with some off speed shots when needed. Besides her offense she also is good at the net blocking, although she doesn't have the biggest reach, she seems to be able to read hitters and put her hands in a great spot a lot of the time to get qualify touches that gives her defense time to keep the ball in system. She seemed to be on a different level over the weekend as she was scoring at will at times, and seemed to be a good to option as play progressed each match. Loved how she played with energy and passion too, she was fun to watch as a teammate and the way she played with that energy. Overall a key player for Horizon Honors, and someone who had an excellent tourney at Epic.     Madi looked good all weekend for Williams Field, making an impact throughout the tournament with her overall play. Primarily used as a hitter, she consistently scored points and came up with key plays for her team in a number of tight situations. She is explosive on the pin, getting up well and showing the ability to attack a variety of spots on the floor. Madi is versatile and looks comfortable attacking from different locations, which makes her a difficult matchup for opposing defenses. I loved how aggressive she was all weekend, showing no hesitation to take a full swing regardless of the situation and consistently finding ways to be effective. She also did a nice job at the net as a blocker, routinely taking away shots and angles from opposing hitters and making life easier for her defenders behind her. She had a great weekend and was a key part as to Williams Field being in the top bracket at the end of the tournament.    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   We've officially hit the heart of the school season, and with the playoffs quickly approaching, there is still plenty of volleyball left to be played. The next few weeks will be huge as teams battle for positioning and athletes continue to make their mark across Arizona.   As we continue covering athletes and programs throughout the fall, make sure your Prep Dig profile is updated with your current school, position, height, graduation year, and any other important information. Keeping your profile current helps our scouts have the most accurate information when evaluating and writing throughout the season.   Want to stay on our radar? Tag us in your highlights, match schedules, big performances, milestones, and anything else you want us to see. As the postseason gets closer, we want to know where you're playing, how you're performing, and which athletes and teams we need to have our eyes on.   Be sure to follow Prep Dig Arizona and our Arizona scouts on Instagram for even more coverage:   @PrepDigArizona   @CoachMarissaMorah   @PrepDigAnthony   The postseason will be here before we know it. Keep working, keep competing, and keep us updated. We can't wait to see which teams make a run and which athletes rise to the occasion when it matters most!

Day 2 was were all the action happened! 7 champions were crowned in their 7 divisions and we got a chance to see some more teams who were at other locations the day before. The tournament had some intense volleyball as we progressed through each divisions bracket play, and saw a number of matches go the distance. I tried not to double up on teams that I wrote about on day 1, as we have a 104 teams we were able to see so this article will feature 10 players from 10 teams we didn't write about on day 1. Big thank you to Epic Tourneys for hosting such a big tournament and having us be there!