USA Jr Nationals Pre-Tourney Showcase Players to Watch Vol 11
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We are a month away from the culmination of the club season…USA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June and early July. Prep Dig has once again renewed our partnership with USA Volleyball to…
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Continue ReadingWe are a month away from the culmination of the club season…USA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June and early July. Prep Dig has once again renewed our partnership with USA Volleyball to run the Pre-Tournament Showcase the day before the tourney starts. It will be held at the McCormick Place Convention Center where the tourney is being held. We are going to be previewing some of the players who have signed up to participate. The one aspect that sets our showcases apart from every other one in the country is how we offer coverage, before, during, and after it is completed. Without further ado, here are a few players who you should be watching at the showcase.
Brooklyn Kostoff [2024] 5-7 Setter (HS: Santa Margarita/Club: San Clemente/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Brooklyn is currently an unranked prospect in the 2024 Class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings, but she is on our watch list since we have taken notice. She plays volleyball at Santa Margarita Catholic High School and also plays club for San Clemente. Miss Kostoff is a very accurate setter who uses very fast footwork to help run her offense. You very rarely see her take many negative extra steps toward the ball as she tracks it down. This kind of efficiency will keep her in position to play the ball to the best of her abilities consistently. The two-sport star also shines in her school’s beach program. Playing beach volleyball helps keep her sharp, in great physical condition, and aids in her overall ball control. What I like about her is that she is not afraid to battle at the net despite her size when she runs a 5-1 offense from the front row. She uses very ounce of her frame to push the ball to the pins and the ball never dies early. When she is in the front row and the ball is passed a little tight, she has an arsenal of dumps to use in order to score for her squad. We are excited to have her in the showcase and cannot wait to report how she fares.
Sydney Baumfalk Sydney Baumfalk 5'9" | OH Olathe East | 2025 State KS [2025] 5-9 Outside (HS: Olathe East/Club: MAVS/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Sydney is currently ranked as the 26th best overall prospect in the 2025 Class according to our Prep Dig Kansas State Rankings. She plays volleyball at Olathe East High School and club for the MAVS KC volleyball program. What some might see as a little undersized for a pin attacker, I see someone who can hang with the big girls and should not be slept on at all. If you do think that she cannot be a threat, you will be sorely mistaken and she will make you pay. As coaches, we want players to use all of their body in order to hit and not just their arm swing. Syd does this by truly “crunching her abs” or engaging her core while she attacks and it adds so much extra pop into her shot. I love how I see her shoulders come forward during her swing slightly, which means she has tightened her abs and used every muscle possible to hit harder. She can score with a variety of different shots including hard cross, down the line with power, and a series of stifling off-speed shots and tips. Miss Baumfaulk will be fun to watch against this elite competition. Stay tuned.
Zoë McDonald Zoë McDonald 6'2" | MB Shawnee Mission East | 2024 State KS [2024] 6-2 Middle (HS: Shawnee Mission East/Club: KC Power /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Zoe is currently ranked as the 31st best overall prospect in the 2024 class according to our Prep Dig Kansas State Rankings. She plays volleyball at Shawnee Mission East High School and club for the nationally recognized KC Power program. Miss McDonald is a true beast at the net both offensively and defensively. When you watch her attack, you see some raw natural power in her upper body. She unleashes this power in many different ways while running a ton of different routes. By using her lightning quick arm, she makes it very difficult for anyone to stop her consistently. The opposing team has to have some amazing timing and spacing, otherwise she will tool the block and make them pay. She runs a very aggressive slide and it is hard to stop. The best aspect of her is how she uses amazing torque while on a quick set in front of her setter to kill the cut back angle toward the setter of the opposing defense. It is a very difficult angle to use for a right-handed player, but Zoe makes it look super easy. She ahs the potential to be one of the best middles in the showcase and we cannot wait to see her against the best of the best.
Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes that will be attending the showcase. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at Michael@prepdig.com. 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 Prep Dig Family!