Triple Crown Coverage – Battle of 16U Title Contenders on Day Two
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One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof. It is being held in Kansas City, MO on February 17-19th. It brings together the toughest competition from all over the country. There are many storylines coming out of day two and we were front and center for one of them held on Championship Court.
The defending champion Dallas Skyline 16 Royal is on a mission to go back to back this year. They have retooled their already awesome roster with some amazing additions. The core of this team is still intact from last year's amazing USA Open title run. They have one of the best setters in the country in [player_tooltip player_id='241932' first='Madison' last='Victoriano'] and she runs the ship very well. Her athleticism and pinpoint accuracy help each hitter to play at their best. There are very few holes in this team as they are solid across the entire roster. She also has an innate ability to lead by example and be a calming force during tense moments. Her teammates really trust her ability to track down and put the ball where it needs to be. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='327912' first='Kiley' last='Brooks'] has really stepped up this year and can dig hard driven balls so easily. She truly has no fear in the way she plays the position. I also love how her fiery attitude rubs off on the team as she celebrates everyone's accomplishments after a rally. One player who truly has come into the spotlight this year is [player_tooltip player_id='253981' first='Ashlyn' last='Seay']. At this level it is not easy to stand out amongst the stars that shine bright, but in this match I saw her come alive and turn it up a few notches. Not only is she hitting at such a high level, but her defensive is just as impressive. The pins on this team really know how to thread the needle and they are all ready to attack at any given moment. [player_tooltip player_id='452239' first='Taylor' last='Clarke'], [player_tooltip player_id='254300' first='Simone' last='Heard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='452241' first='LeVariya' last='Pinder'] are some of the hardest hitting pins in the country. They are lethal to say the least. [player_tooltip player_id='318137' first='Keoni' last='Williams'] proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that sh is one of the best middles in her grad class with her solid performance.
On the other side of the court was another squad who is very well known since they dominated last season, Austin Skyline 16 Royal. This squad has also retooled their lineup with some solid additions. [player_tooltip player_id='318127' first='Henley' last='Anderson'] joined the team and paired up with [player_tooltip player_id='318198' first='Riley' last='Malloy'] on the left side. In my opinion, they are the best one-two punch in the country on the left side. Many publications have Henley as the best overall recruit in the country in her grad class. Both play all six rotations and do a fantastic job of keeping their team in every match on their schedule. Everyone in the country knows how lethal they both are from the offensive side of the ball, but they have shown this season just how good they are on the defensive side as well. I love how they both patrol middle back with ease and dig the hard driven ball so gracefully. [player_tooltip player_id='318138' first='Sydney' last='Lund'] and [player_tooltip player_id='434231' first='Maggie' last='McCarroll'] do a great job of running a great 6-2 offense. Syd has the size and strength to battle at the net, while Maggie is as athletic as they come in the position. I really like the way McCarroll moves on the court with confidence. Her footwork is always fast and she never takes unnecessary steps toward the ball when tracking it down. With the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='306916' first='Rileigh' last='Butler'] at libero, the team has very little weaknesses. Her confidence can be seen with every rally and she is extremely focused in every aspect of the game. [player_tooltip player_id='321291' first='Christa' last='Wilburn'] has also been playing lights out for this star-studded cast as of late. Her ability to play any position at the net at a high level should attract a lot of attention from college scouts.
Set one was extremely close throughout the entire set as both teams did not want to relinquish control of the match up. It was very apparent that the winner of this set and match was going to come down to only a few key points. Both teams were battling back and forth until the very end as Dallas Skyline pulled off the set one victory by only a few points. Set two started off with both teams trading some serious hay-makers back and forth. It was like watching a real heavyweight boxing match as huge swings were taking place by both squads. The defense was also being played at an extremely high level as many players were diving into their respective benches to make sure that they did not give up on the ball without true effort. The coaching matchup was also great to watch as timeouts were taken at great times to try to slow down momentum from each other. In the end, Dallas Skyline 16 Royal came out as the ultimate victor of set two and the match, however I am sure that we have not seen the last of Austin Skyline this season. Dallas Skyline looks like no one can truly stop them as every player does their part on this well-balanced squad. They will be a tough out for anyone trying to dethrone them. Be on the lookout for more from both of these teams and others as we continue our coverage.
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