Epic Tournament Day 1 Standouts

Last weekend we had the 104 team volleyball tournament hosted by Epic Tourneys at ASU, and boy did we see a lot of top end action and some amazing players on display! Getting a chance to watch 104 teams compete over the weekend was great, as it gave me a lot of new kids to look at and see some standouts that might be new to all of you!   I have two articles being posted this week as it was impossible to see all 104 teams in one day, so we will have some different stadnouts each day! If I didn't get a chance to see you don't worry, just make sure to tag me in some clips and I will swing by and watch a powerpoint game in the near future!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Day 1 Standouts:</h2>    Layla is a cut above the rest when it came to setters this tournament. Playing in the top division Layla was a big reason why Boulder Creek went 3-0 and got the number 1 seed for bracket play. She really did well spreading the ball around to her hitters and putting them in great locations for them to terminate. Her hands and ball placement was next level, and she took some average passes and made them in great sets for her hitters. She can run the full spread of sets and does well running her middles as well, and using them all over the place as well. She was also a threat on offense, using dumps and some swings to earn some points for the team as well. She also used a strong served and got a number of out of system passes and aces by the other team. Layla could be a top level setter or hitter on any team and brings a lot of tools to help a team win.     PCDS had a 3-0 day and had a number of player contribute but one who really did well was Emery. Emery is a 6 rotation pin for PCDS and was really doing it all for them in their 3-0 day with her offense, defense, and serving. She has a arm swing that can generate a lot of pace behind the ball, and seemed to do well hitting around blocks when the set was there, but more impressively was able to tool a number of blocks as well. Serve receive and defense Emery also did well by moving her feet and arms to a good angle to pass to the setter every time she touched the ball. Her athletic ability is very high, as her movement to load for a swing, or movement to get behind a pass is very fluid and easy. She earned a lot of points for PCDS throughout pool play and was a big reason in them going 3-0 on day 1.     Emerson was a big part of Desert Vista advancing through the top division last weekend on their way to the finals. On day one she was the all around setter coaches need on their team. She was excellent with her setting and running the offense, she did a great job being aggressive with her serving, and was a menace at the net with her blocking. Offensively Desert Vista was humming on offense all day as Emerson did a good job spreading the ball around to her hitters, and taking full advantage of any mismatches that her teammates had. She is strong with her sets and can run any set from any location on the floor. Her serve is another asset as she really puts a lot of pressure on the other team with her ability to hit spots and make angles tough for passers. At the net her size and physicality is on full display with her blocking as she takes away a ton of space from pin hitters and presses well over the net. She had a great day one, and carried that momentum into day 2 as well, a true standout on the weekend.     Izabella did a great job for Centennial on day one and was a big reason the Coyotes played so well throughout pool play. She is an athletic libero with a high volleyball IQ who covers a lot of space both in serve receive and defensively. In serve receive, she moves extremely well and does a great job taking ownership of the seam ball with whoever is next to her. It was fun to watch her take charge of the back row, communicate with her teammates, and consistently deliver quality passes to keep Centennial in system. Defensively, she was solid all day, showing great anticipation and reading the game well to put herself in position to make plays. She has the range to track down balls outside of her immediate area and the control to turn those defensive plays into quality opportunities for her team. Izabella brings a lot of athleticism, communication, and stability to the back row and was one of the big standouts for Centennial throughout the day.     Playing in her first tournament after sitting out due to her transfer, Malia was a big bright spot for Arcadia as they played their matches on Saturday. She was on point with her passing in serve receive, consistently delivering high-level passes to her setters and helping keep her team in system offensively. Defensively, she was all over the court and showed a high volleyball IQ, reading the game well and putting herself in position to make plays. Malia also showed great range and pursuit, tracking down balls that many players would struggle to reach and giving her team extra opportunities to extend rallies. Her consistency, court awareness, and ability to control the backcourt stood out throughout the day and made her one of the standouts on day 1. She is for sure a name to watch now that she is eligible to play for the rest of the season.     SCA went 3-0 on day one, and Kaya was a big-time reason for that success as she dominated on the pin and scored a ton of points for SCA. She is a violent hitter who doesn't mess around when it comes to her swing, attacking with power and finding ways to go through, over, or around blocks. She is as impressive a hitter as there was at the tournament when it came to the pins, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses and making life difficult for blockers. Kaya was also a high level contributor in other areas of her game, including being a legitimate offensive option out of the back row. Defensively and in serve receive, she showed great athleticism and court awareness, covering ground well and making quality plays to keep rallies alive. Her ability to contribute in every phase of the game made her a complete six rotation threat and a major factor in SCA's undefeated day.     Sloan was a force on offense on day one and really carried the load offensively for Saguaro at Epic. She was easily the top point getter for Saguaro throughout the day, and even with opposing teams knowing where the ball was going, they still had a hard time slowing her down. She is operating at a different level with her ability to get high on her approach and attack hard angles that most hitters simply cannot reach. Sloan also does a great job handling a big block in front of her, using her athleticism and shot selection to go around the block or tool it for points. As an outside hitter, she showed the ability to be a go to option while still making smart decisions when the perfect swing wasn't there. She brings a high level of confidence and attacking range to the pin, and her ability to consistently produce in high volume situations makes her a very tough matchup for opposing defenses and gave teams fits all day on Friday at the Epic tournament.     Buckeye went 2-1 on day one and advanced to bracket play, and a big reason why was the play of Bella. She was someone I hadn't seen in person before, and man, is she someone who really stands out with her play at the net out of the middle. Although she is very capable of hitting on the pins and contributing in serve receive, she was especially dominant attacking out of the middle. Good luck if you only had a one on one matchup against her, as she has a fast arm swing, attacks with confidence, and does a great job finding ways to score. As a blocker, she was equally impressive, showing good timing and presence at the net while taking away space and creating problems for opposing hitters. Bella's combination of offense, blocking, and versatility makes her a player who can have a major impact in multiple areas of the game and was someone who really stood out to me at Epic.     One libero who really stood out on day one was Kaydence over at Valley Christian. She was a big part in them going 3-0 on day 1 with her exceptional game play on both defense and serve receive. One thing about watching her play is she does a lot of the little things well, she communicates well, covers well, and is always being loud after scoring points. In terms of her game play she was next level, she passed at an extremely high clip, whenever I was watching her game play she was always passing and 3, and keeping her team in system. She moves very well on the floor covering a lot of ground both in serve receive and in defense. Was very impressed with her movement and ability to get to balls a lot of liberos would struggle with. She was a fun libero to watch, and has a high level of game play, which makes her an easy pick as a standout!     K'Lei was absolutely dominate for Basha on day 1 and into day 2. She is force on offense, and is able to run a wide range of sets on the floor. She can hit on either pin and is able to run out of the middle when she needs to as well. Having an option who can hit out of anywhere in the front row is a big plus for Basha and she had that on full display on day 1. She got set a lot and took full advantage regardless of who was in front of her blocking. She went through, around, and over a few blocks as well. She was the top point getter on day 1 for the Bears. She is also a threat at the net with her defense as she is a athletic pin who can get up on the block and take away a lot of angles from hitters. She is someone who is also a force to win more 1 on 1 blocks over some other hitters. She gets well above and over the net and caused a ton of problems for the other teams hitters. She had a ton of stuff blocks and great block touches as well. Overall was a big reason for Basha advancing on day 1, and is a clear standout from the tourney.    <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!

Last weekend we had the 104 team volleyball tournament hosted by Epic Tourneys at ASU, and boy did we see a lot of top end action and some amazing players on display! Getting a chance to watch 104 teams compete over the weekend was great, as it gave me a lot of new kids to look at and see some standouts that might be new to all of you!