Impact Attackers at Heartland Crossroads Invitational

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elite athletes rose to the forefront at the Heartland Crossroads Invite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Millard West hosted an annual meeting between programs from Omaha, Lincoln, and beyond. The event showcased a tremendous balance of frontcourt firepower and relentless ball control, and we'll address a little of both as we discuss some of the invite's top standouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First, we're talking about that firepower. Keep these attackers on your radar after their strong Saturday showings at the Heartland Crossroads Invite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>On the Pin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outside hitters had a field day at Millard West.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regarding the host of this event, we knew that left-side hitters [player_tooltip player_id='103095' first='Alanna' last='Bankston'] and [player_tooltip player_id='59200' first='Evan' last='Glade'] would put up their share of highlight moments. That's always a safe bet. But we also saw the depth of the Wildcat pin lineup with [player_tooltip player_id='122816' first='Kaelin' last='Pribyl'] taking some huge swings on both pins throughout the day. Pribyl's willingness to adapt to a variety of roles will be crucial in Millard West's push to get back to Lincoln this November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Millard West defended its home court to a 4-0 record at HAC Crossroads, but you could also argue that the event's MVP was on a team other than the Wildcats. In this conversation about impactful pin hitters, you simply can't leave out Fremont's [player_tooltip player_id='155050' first='Mattie' last='Dalton']. This six-rotation standout is coming off a great year with Nebraska Elite, but she has taken her game to an even higher level early in this fall. Dalton passes, plays defense, and brings a heavy arm to the Tiger frontcourt. This combination of skills, along with some incredible stat production in early-season matches, has already made Dalton one of Nebraska's biggest stock risers of the high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1566103384423284738?s=20u0026t=-cueAjekIZ_OJQlyx0nKVw","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1566103384423284738?s=20u0026t=-cueAjekIZ_OJQlyx0nKVw </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Several other outside hitters generated some Saturday buzz, too. For Elkhorn South, [player_tooltip player_id='106606' first='Annie' last='Millard'] and Rowyn Scheer provided some veteran leadership on the outside and handled some tough swings with finesse. [player_tooltip player_id='189371' first='Paisley' last='Piatkowski'] is also contributing to the balanced Storm attacker, and I'd expect this group to keep gaining momentum as the season progresses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ali Jacobs</strong> has been taking a lot of hitting volume for Lincoln North Star and forms a nice tandem with junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='109589' first='Macy' last='Roth']. When these pin hitters are finding a rhythm, the Gators can compete with anyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, we got a look at Omaha Westview's collection of freshmen and sophomores as the Wolverines compete in their inaugural season this fall. I was impressed with freshman <strong>Riley Dungan</strong>'s presence on the pin, and she can also slide over to the middle if needed. We're going to keep talking about this Westview program as it builds a foundation to compete in the ever-grueling Omaha metro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>In the Middle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, we haven't forgotten about the middles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Among the squads we saw on Saturday, I think we'll see the most middle offense this year from Elkhorn South. Senior Delaney Burge and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='173520' first='Ava' last='Stone'] have quickly become the frontcourt foundation for the Storm. When the team is passing well, Elkhorn South is always eager to feed this physical duo in any rotation. Having one of these two reliable options at all times will be a vital component of the Storm's 2022 success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fremont will also bring plenty of strength to this position. <strong>Makayla Belmont</strong> and <strong>Blair Boehlke</strong> formed a perpetual wall at the net and got increasingly more involved in the Tiger offense. While Dalton and the ball control group will get a lot of hype for Fremont this season, don't lose track of the middle blockers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Avery Bowen</strong> also stole the show for Lincoln North Star this weekend. It's tough to solely classify her as a middle, though, as Bowen swings in a variety of gaps and can take some two-footed swings on the pin in first-ball situations. Hybrid players like this will always be fun to cover.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1566090506936860673?s=20u0026t=-cueAjekIZ_OJQlyx0nKVw","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1566090506936860673?s=20u0026t=-cueAjekIZ_OJQlyx0nKVw </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->