Prep Dig Indy Spring Showcase Recap: Positional Breakdowns

With the kickoff to the weekend, over 100 athletes from five different states showed up and unleashed their talents on the court at this weekend’s Prep Dig Indy Spring Showcase. Athletes were met with various stations that consisted of various games of testing, queens and split courts; along with going over positional breakdowns and combinations and wrapping up with 6 on 6, drills and competition. We were met with various talents and skill sets and new faces had made sure that they made their names known. There were some standout athletes that definitely caught my eye during their positional breakdowns and putting their positions and skills together during the 6 on 6 game plays and competition. These girls did not come with any second guesses or fear, but instead showed up ready to play.   Positional Group: Outside Hitters [player_tooltip player_id="99583" first="Mya" last="Ayro"]- The Academy Volleyball Club Ayro is a very competitive and aggressive player, and she is definitely going to be a player to watch. Ayro is hard to miss on the court, as she stands at 5’11” and her athletic ability is impeccable. Ayro moves with determination and can read the court fluently. The sophomore is definitely going to be a threat as her swing is extremely powerful and consistent. Ayro is going to be an athlete to keep tabs on as she has time to develop and fully perfect her skill set. Ayro brought her talent and skills to the showcase and worked well with her positional combination partners and definitely did not fail to catch my eye.   [player_tooltip player_id="85951" first="Khori" last="Dryden"]- Academy 17 Elite Tsunami Let me say, having the opportunity to watch Dryden play and execute her positional drills and play is something to want to stick around and keep watching. Dryden stands at 5’8” and she is a very powerful and strong player. Dryden isn’t just a strong player physically, but her mental ability is something that is highly noticeable on the court and shines through her athletic ability. Dryden has a powerful swing, and her swing is something that is still developing and once she fully gets the fundamentals to perfect her craft, she is going to be lethal in the outside position. Her ability to block is impressive, as she moves swift across the net and is quick on the jump to stop the kill from hitting her territory. Dryden is a strong willed and determined athlete and that is important when it comes to being a team player and that is what we want to see. Dryden is going to be a developing athlete to watch, and she is a player you are going to want to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id="110512" first="Alaleh" last="Tolliver"]- The Academy Volleyball Club Tolliver is going to be an OH you are going to want to keep up with during her high school career. The freshman has an impressive foundation already which makes her hard to notice on the court. Tolliver’s execution on a kill is something that caught my eye. Her height, ability to jump and her final kill execution is what will make you want to watch more. Tolliver has good communication across the court and is able to work very well with her setter in setting up the perfect kill. Tolliver’s ability to retrieve the set and meet the ball to get the kill identifies her consistency with working with her setter. Tolliver can use some touch up fundamentals in strengthening her swing and making it stronger, but Tolliver already has a solid foundation and with the right coaching and skill development, Tolliver is bound to be an elite and stellar athlete. Tolliver is going to be a developing athlete to continue following to watch her success and skill development.     Positional Group: Setters [player_tooltip player_id="110491" first="Leah" last="Richmond"]- The Academy 15-1 Venom Richmond is a very impressive setter, and she caught my eye with her communication across the floor. Richmond displayed phenomenal communication skills during the 6 on 6 and positional combinations which makes her a very consistent player and an important player when it comes up to setting up a play. Richmond worked extremely well with her OHs and MHs as she was able to set the perfect set for a kill. Each and every time. Richmond worked extremely well with OH, [player_tooltip player_id="110512" first="Alaleh" last="Tolliver"], and with MH, [player_tooltip player_id="133763" first="Marlina" last="Anderson"]. Richmond is the type of setter that is attentive at all times and her ability to play defensively is something to keep in mind. She is one to know where the ball is at all times and was able to reflect the opponents attempted kills and set those up for her offense.   Samantha Luttel- The Academy 16E Banshees The 5’5” setter was another interesting player to watch on her designated court during her positional combinations and watching her during her skill drills. Luttel has a very soft touch to the ball and has good ball control when setting the ball towards her OH or MH. Luttel falls a bit on the shorter side, but her ability to jump and be consistent with kills if need be are impressive. Luttel outperformed when it came to killing the ball during competition games as she was able to play both in the setting position and able to gain some kills under her built. Her right swing is very powerful and consistent to be a setter and can be used to advantage. She is a very vocal setter and sets up the ball to move across the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id="106453" first="Brooklyn" last="Summers"]- Evansville Metro Volleyball Club Summers is a very attentive and foundational setter, which is very important when it comes to setting up the perfect set. While watching Summers in both her positional breakdowns and her 6 on 6 game play, she was consistent with her sets and how she set her sets. Summers had set perfect sets for her offensive players and each was either a kill or deflected by the opponent’s defense. On the defense, Summers showed her defensive specialist skill set. She can get low to the ground and can easy maneuver with the ball to deflect it. Summers is going to be an athlete to watch and keep up with during her club career.