Bid Winner: Dakine 16 Surf -Sunshine Classic!

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A runner-up finish in the USA Division secures a bid to GJNC.</h2>   The Dakine 16 Surf team went 10-1 on the weekend, only dropping a single set on the way to a championship matchup with Dallas Skyline 16 Black. Dakine dropped a well-fought match in three, 21-25, 25-23, and 11-15 to take second place overall. Congratulations to coach Katie Cardinal and her team at Nationals!    Smith was excellent in Florida. The Timberline prospect played six rotations on the outside and was a steady force for her squad. She knows how to score as an attacker; she hits a heavy, accurate ball in and out of system and drops in a perfect lift tip when defenders are playing deep. Her serve-receive, and defensive game were top-notch in the back row. Smith hustles and rarely gives up an ace; against Skyline, she recognized and handled multiple tough, short serves, keeping her team's offense flowing. Her three-ace run helped Dakine regain the momentum in the championship after Skyline had run out to an early lead.     Bernard is sudden—fast off the floor and on top of defenders and attackers before they are ready. In the final, she racked up three quick kills against Skyline, turning the ball around the block and hammering it down both directions before sending a clever tip to the "4" when the OH attempted a double block. Bernard is consistently up and ready for a set; she works hard and keeps her blocker occupied to open up the offense for Dakine.     Harris was a defensive star in the final, which is no surprise for anyone who has seen the Curtis star play. The Dallas Skyline right sides ripped huge swings to the angle, looking for kills, and Harris denied them multiple times with stabbing digs and ups that kept Dakine on the attack. Harris will score and be aggressive attacking on the second contact, even as a back-row setter. She will push balls deep to the corner, send over a flat, fast dump, and fire a second ball attack hard at a sharp angle, looking for a point.     The 2027 middle played with fire and confidence throughout the tournament, showing off ever-improving offensive skills and physicality. Lingenbrink rose to crush down an overpass in the final, a big momentum-changing moment for Dakine in the second set against Dallas Skyline. She followed that up by blocking a swing from the pipe straight down for another point- and the team was fired up. Lingenbrink is running the slide, extending over the net as a blocker, and working hard to get into transition. Her skill and length have her on college coaches' radar.     Nelson is on the outside for Dakine, and her quickness and verticality are tough for blockers. She can find high hands or the edges of the block, and defenders have to keep their hands up when she runs a fast-tempo attack. Nelson was an emotional spark plug for Dakine; she is a competitor, and her intensity and fire were crucial in their run to the finals.     Lauifi was outstanding in serve-recieve, and all over the court! Skyline tried to avoid serving the South Kitsap sophomore in the final- a sure-fire compliment on her game throughout the weekend. She is tremendously quick and committed to covering the middle of the court on tips and dumps; attackers must be near perfect to get one down for a point with Lauifi at libero. Her lefty serve always seemed to disrupt passers, giving Dakine a great start to each point when she was at the service line.    [player_tooltip player_id='554223' first='Kayla' last='Baker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='499408' first='Savannah' last='Browning'] delivered on critical swings for Dakine in the final. Baker was hard to handle on the right side; her power swing pinballs the ball off the block, and her quick tempo "six" run behind the setter was unstoppable. Browning had excellent swings from both pins; she has exceptional vision and wasn't afraid to push a ball hard with two hands off the block or to an empty corner for an easy kill.   [player_tooltip player_id='524938' first='Payton' last='Elmore'] is a terrific defender. Her beach background shows when she puts up a pretty second contact set from the back row or is in perfect position when she reads an attacker. Elmore was named a top performer at the PrepDig Showcase in Orlando; she was on fire with her Dakine teammates Browning and Lingenbrink.   We recently profiled [player_tooltip player_id='486981' first='Elliana' last='Smith'], and she pushed her game up another level in Florida. After Presidents Day, we had this: "Smith is running an up-tempo offense and finding her attackers one-up opportunities. She has quick feet and stays dynamic, utilizing a well-controlled jump set to speed up the offense. Smith was confidently picking up tips and hard swings; she was outstanding throughout the tournament." In Florida, she was on point again.   [player_tooltip player_id='554221' first='Manaia' last='Pasi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='554226' first='Peyton' last='Cantrell'] are the final two pieces of the Dakine 16 puzzle. Pasi is a playmaker at the OH position; she is also a quality defender, can rip a swing from the pipe, and isn't afraid to step up to the service line in a big moment. Cantrell is a middle blocker with a terrific work rate. She uses good vision and anticipation to set the block pin-to-pin, giving the Dakine back row a chance to work into a good defensive position.