More Pin Hitters to Follow from #PDTheFinale

<p>Time to put a few more outside hitters on your radar.</p> <p>My previews for our Prep Dig Circuit Finale emphasized that this event would be full of new discoveries and first-time scouting opportunities. That was certainly the case last weekend in Michigan, and I’ve been able to take note of several athletes to follow in the future. Outside hitters had no problem standing out in this regard, so we ought to share a few of those new discoveries here.</p> <p>Keep an eye on these pin hitters after some excellent showings at the Finale.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Khayla Moore - 5’8 OH - TeamD 17-Red</strong></p> <p>Here’s a dynamic outside who got progressively better over the weekend. Moore found her rhythm with TeamD 17-Red, and that rhythm manifested into several clutch swings on the left pin. Her smooth approach allows her to get the most out of her athletic ability and hit at the top of her jump. It was also fun to watch Moore exhibit her "court smarts" with a variety of off-speed shots and well-placed tips. After a strong performance on the Circuit, this outside hitter should see an expanded role in 17-Red’s ever-improving frontcourt attack.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Third set upcoming on Court 1!<a href="https://x.com/TeamDVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamDVBC</a> 17-Red forces a tiebreaker with some impressive swings by Khayla Moore. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a> <a href="https://t.co/hIkstpmdvZ">pic.x.com/hIkstpmdvZ</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535619652042248198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Takiya Cornelius - 5’9 OH - Krush VBC 17 National</strong></p> <p>Cornelius quickly jumped out on film as I prepared for this event, and she backed that up during my in-person looks. She is a fearless attacker who will readily try to carve some serious angles from the left pin. I was particularly impressed with Cornelius’ tendency to keep that aggressive mindset no matter what kind of set she got. Even in out-of-system situations, Cornelius will go for it.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A high-flying start for Takiya Cornelius from <a href="https://x.com/krushvbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krushvbc</a> 17 National at <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a>! <a href="https://t.co/B0SBCsiCfs">pic.x.com/B0SBCsiCfs</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535237176501362689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="169496" first="Nicole" last="Russell"] - 6’0 OH - A2 17 Green</strong></p> <p>A2’s pin hitters have taken another step forward since I last saw them in Cleveland for the Prep Dig Open. Russell is one of those to keep an eye on after her 17 Green squad finished runner-up in the competitive 17s/18s division. Her blocking reads were particularly effective last weekend, as Russell always seemed to be in the right spot to put a lid on attackers at the net.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Big roof for the win!<br /> <br /> [player_tooltip player_id="169496" first="Nicole" last="Russell"] puts down match points for the <a href="https://x.com/A2_Volleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@A2_Volleyball</a> 17 Green victory. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a> <a href="https://t.co/awfTbT1e2M">pic.x.com/awfTbT1e2M</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535963836951535621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_193267" align="alignright" width="371"]<img class="wp-image-193267" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/05/56-Jada-Pantaleo.jpg" alt="" width="371" height="247" /> Pantaleo[/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="186778" first="Jada" last="Pantaleo"] - 5’9 OH/DS - Legacy 16-Elite East</strong></p> <p>Pantaleo’s frontcourt ferocity is matched by her relentless pursuit of the ball in back-row defense. Legacy has a lot of outside hitters with defensive specialist backgrounds, and Pantaleo carried the torch for this group with 16-Elite East. It was immediately clear that this six-rotation talent is also a vocal leader for her squad--a trait that lifted Pantaleo’s team through several tight contests.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="201861" first="Marley" last="Annis"] - 5’9 OH - Krush VBC 16 National</strong></p> <p>Annis embodies the strengths of her whole Krush team. She’s nimble, gets on the ball quickly, and is willing to make big plays in areas other than attacking. It’s always nice to see a left-side hitter get into a ball-control rhythm, and we saw that several times from Annis throughout the event. I don’t think this is the last time we’ll see Annis and her team near the top of the leaderboard at a Great Lakes venue.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Emphatic win for <a href="https://x.com/krushvbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krushvbc</a> 16 National! [player_tooltip player_id="201861" first="Marley" last="Annis"] with a big swing to clinch it.<br /> <br /> 16s semifinals are set at <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a>. <a href="https://t.co/2YUYDQHwHc">pic.x.com/2YUYDQHwHc</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535986552232456193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Gracelyn Skupski - 6’0 RS - AVC CLE Rox 16 Blue</strong></p> <p>16 Blue can confidently run a 6-2 system in part because the team has two stellar opposites to lean on. After mentioning Chidimma Obi in our all-tournament feature, I can’t go without also mentioning Skupski’s major contributions on the right pin. This natural lefty attacker frequently hit over opposing blockers last weekend and also presented a big block for anyone trying to swing across from her.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gracelyn Skupski has had a productive opening day at opposite for <a href="https://x.com/avcvolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@avcvolleyball</a> 16 Blue. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/PDTheFinale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDTheFinale</a> <a href="https://t.co/zibVG13R0f">pic.x.com/zibVG13R0f</a></p> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1535300305868443650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Kathryn Knaak - 5’9 OH - AVC CLE Rox 15 White</strong></p> <p>Let’s give credit to another player who helped her team make a championship run. Knaak changed the dynamic of a match every time she checked into the frontcourt. Aside from her ability to score on tough swings, Knaak was an unquestioned leader who steered 15 White into proper position. That’s a particularly coveted asset at the 15s level, and Knaak is well-positioned to guide her team to many more tournament titles in the years to come.</p>