Donna Mayer Bid Event – Middles to Watch in 16s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>This weekend's bid event will give me an opportunity to see more players I've not watched this club season. Here are six players I want to catch up with.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='475348' first='Kylie' last='Barnard'] – 5'10” – FC United 16 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carrying over what she did at St. Clair to the&nbsp;club season gives Kylie plenty of confidence in her game. Playing bigger than 5'10” using her athleticism and muscle at the net, Kylie is turning into a consistent terminator. She is excellent at a one-foot approach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Diana Ivanova – 6'0”&nbsp; – HP 16 Premier</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched Diana play in the district tournament and could see that, with some work, she could be a driving force in Ladue winning the school's first district title. Used more as a defensive presence during high school, Diana is finding her offensive stride during club. Improvement in lateral movements and transition footwork has paid off, as she is a more offensive middle during her club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='548271' first='Katelyn' last='Short'] – 5'10” – [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 White</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Charger is taking charge at the net for RT 16 White. Her aggressive net play is getting Katelyn a ton of looks. Her strong shots include a strong middle and an excellent cut shot to the right back. What I like about her game is that she is forceful at the net with overpasses, getting two hands on the ball, and throwing it to the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='766296' first='Lyric' last='Hughes'] – 6'0” – FVA 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lyric quietly becomes a significant force, whether playing middle or slamming balls on the opposite. She was a shut-down blocker on the right pin at Westminster Christian, but I like her out of the middle. A long, quick, and powerful attacker uses the block extremely well, and if you want to stop her out of the middle, you've got to get two blockers on her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lexie Niemann – 6'0” – 314 VBC 16 Red</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I watched Lexie play last month, it was almost like she was playing at half her potential. You&nbsp;see that she has a lot going for her to become a force in the middle. She's got great height, a&nbsp;long wingspan, and&nbsp;a solid vertical. With more experience and strength, Lexie can become a tough middle blocker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Elena Grandadino – 5'9” – [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 Carolina</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first time I watched Elena play was in the&nbsp;Gateway league, and I noticed her power immediately. She looks taller than her listed height, but that might be because of her long arms and powerful swing. She is still raw in her game, but the potential is there to be a solid middle with power and a high volleyball IQ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->