Hot Hitters from Freshman Class at DMV Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The flash and flair of many matches lie with the outside hitters' position. Every team needs that hitter to be on the ball and at their best to win most of the time. I do not mean that they are more important than a fantastic defensive specialist, but it is statistically harder to win without good production from the outside hitter position. Let's look at the new outside class displayed at the DMV Freshman Showcase this past weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='623196' first='Brooke' last='Meikle']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meikle is a 5'7" outside hitter from The Academy of the Holy Cross. Meikle is a hard hitter with a good serve and the ability to jump at the net. She gets a good handle on blocked balls and can pop them up to her setter to keep a rally alive. She can hit anywhere at the net and there is not a lot of loft to the ball when she handles it, it is pretty much a laser shot whether serving or hitting. From what I can gather, she likes to take target practice on back row defenders on her opponent's team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584851,"width":"161px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4711.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584851" style="width:161px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='489289' first='Ariana' last='White'], outside hitter from Sidwell Friends School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587876' first='Ariana' last='White']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White is a 5'11" outside hitter from Sidwell Friends School in Virginia. White can play middle or outside. She is fantastic anywhere along the net and could be useful as a 6-rotation player in the next couple of years. Wherever she is hitting she is doing it well. She has a great vertical and can put the ball down quickly with her fast swing. She can beat the block and has very little opposition to her hits most of the time. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584849,"width":"167px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4713.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584849" style="width:167px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh'], outside hitter from Langley High School, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Singh is a 5'7" outside hitter from Langley High School in Virginia. Singh has an intentional swing that I liked on the court. She was efficient and did not make much of a fuss when hitting but she got the job done very well. She likes to hit for the back line or off of the defenders in the back row and is precise in her movements on the court. It almost seems tricky when she hits because it is not always going to be what is expected due to her size. Don't be fooled though, she has hops and will get right in your face when taking her shot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='623202' first='Chaylen' last='Patty']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Patty is a 5'4" outside hitter from Washington International School. Patty is hard to handle on the court. She is up to any challenge thrown at her during a match with her athleticism and jumping ability. She has a great platform, and an awesome swing, and her ability to block is tight at the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587025' first='Addison' last='Gayle']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gayle is a 5'6" outside hitter from Massaponax High School in Virginia. Gayle is athletic and can dig, set, and make plays at the net. She moves well on the court and keeps her eye on her opponents, calling out where to play them for her teammates. She is a good communicator and an asset on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='584072' first='Madison' last='Butler']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Butler is a 5'8" outside hitter from Virginia Academy in Virginia. Butler is another great athlete on the court and her ability to finish off a good set with a kill is a foregone conclusion. She has a great platform, looks good on defense as well as offense, her serves are hot, and she does not give up easily. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='466369' first='Cailin' last='Connors']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Connors is a 5'7" outside hitter from North Stafford High School in Virginia. Connors was fun to watch perform at the showcase. She has an excellent vertical and hits hard. I saw her hit in the middle and outside and she did well with both positions. She handles out-of-system balls well and keeps rallies going. She can play defense well too and has good fundamentals. After watching this sport for years and evaluating hundreds of hitters, I know that the most powerful skill is to be adaptable to whatever your team needs you to do. This athlete seems like she could easily adapt to anywhere on the court depending on what is needed from her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584845,"width":"161px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4717.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584845" style="width:161px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='569865' first='Eireni' last='Scott'], outside hitter from St. Andrews Episcopal HS, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='569865' first='Eireni' last='Scott']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Scott is a 5'10" outside hitter from St. Andrews Episcopal High School. Scott is a great hitter and a great blocker. She knows what she is doing on the court and utilizes her abilities in the best way possible to make a positive impact on her team. She is a special kind of athlete with the reflexes and neurological ability to make special plays other athletes cannot. She is a gift in the front row on whatever team she plays on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587027' first='Courtney' last='Miller']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miller is a 5'6" outside hitter from Colgan High School in Virginia. Miller has a great vertical and massive athletic ability. Her intentional play is very direct and impactful. She can get past the block with speed or tool the ball off of it to get points. She looked good on the right or left side of the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wolfe is a 5'10" outside hitter from The Academy of the Holy Cross. Wolfe has a good vertical and a nasty cross-court shot. She can move around quickly enough to make use of most sets and get a kill. She is adjustable, which is useful at this level of play and with new setters to interact with. There were not a lot of wasted opportunities with this athlete on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='587036' first='Olivia' last='Black']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Black is a 5'9" outside hitter from Yorktown High School in Virginia. Black is a powerful and precise killer. With a good set, a good plan, and her athleticism she knocks it out of the park every time! She has a good serve, a good platform, and a great offensive mind. She is a high volleyball IQ player and has a plan on where to hit before she is even set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":584846,"width":"162px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"thumbnail","linkDestination":"none","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/IMG_4716.jpeg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-584846" style="width:162px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='536721' first='Ana' last='Woods'], outside hitter from The Academy of the Holy Cross, class of 2028.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='536721' first='Ana' last='Woods']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woods is a 6' outside hitter from The Academy of the Holy Cross. Woods is a fantastic outside hitter and a treasure at the net. She has amazing blocks, a great vertical, and a good approach. She can really get above the net and on top of the ball to hammer it down on the opposing court. She is truly a power hitter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->