Setters Who Shined at SoCal Up Next Showcase Vol 3

Prep Dig Up Next Showcases have been sweeping the nation. These events are aimed at helping middle school players understand what it takes to attend a showcase for the first time and also learn new skills in their respective positions. We held our SoCal Up Next Showcase at the Momentous Sports Center on August 29th and it did not disappoint. 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 three setters who shined bright at the SoCal Up Next showcase.    Sahej walked into a sold-out Momentous Sports Center and let her game do the talking amongst some of California's best players. The setting she produced throughout the Prep Dig Up Next SoCal Showcase was clean and intentional, delivering the ball with a repeatability across the entire session that astounded me. I could see that she was reading the block in front of her and delivered the ball both with the flow of the pass and also against the flow of the pass. By moving the ball around so consistently against every team, she kept the defenses off-balance and her squad competed at a very high level no matter who they were up against. The chemistry she built with players she had never shared a court with before happened naturally and quickly, which is one of the more telling indicators of a setter who communicates with purpose rather than just habit. Her competitive presence on the floor was genuine from start to finish.     Some setters deliver the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='952181' first='Brooke' last='Keefe'] runs a system. The distinction showed up clearly throughout the Prep Dig Up Next SoCal Showcase in the way she processed the game ahead of each contact rather than just reacting to the pass she received. Her fast and efficient footwork kept her ahead of the play consistently and she released the ball from a stopped, balanced position rather than setting on the run, which gave her sets an accuracy and repeatability that her hitters responded to immediately. When the location needed to change she changed it and when a hitter needed the ball in a specific spot she found it. You could clearly see that after a mistake, she fixed it and never made the same one twice in a row. The leadership she provided throughout the day was both vocal and visible in how the players around her competed. She made a gym full of strangers feel like a team. I saw it from her and I loved every aspect of that kind of leadership. She is definitely one to watch moving forward.     Watching Estelle set at the Prep Dig Up Next SoCal Showcase was watching a player who already trusts what she has built. Her technique when contacting the ball looked polished even though she is only in eighth grade. Her mechanics did not shift under pressure and they did not shift when the pass was imperfect either. She got to difficult balls quickly and delivered them cleanly, keeping the location of her sets consistent across the entire day in a way that gave her hitters confidence on every approach. What stood out to me was how she truly sprinted to the net rather than just moving at a jogging pace and that kept her early and ready to release off of the net if she had to in order to beat the ball to its spot. She also led with a quiet authority that made the offense feel stable and the players around her settled into a rhythm with her fast because of it. I will definitely be watching her progress over the next few years and you should as well.    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 Up Next Showcases have been sweeping the nation. These events are aimed at helping middle school players understand what it takes to attend a showcase for the first time and also learn new skills in their respective positions. We held our SoCal Up Next Showcase at the Momentous Sports Center on August 29^th and it did not disappoint. 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 three setters who shined bright at the SoCal Up Next showcase.