5 Standout Hitters at the Branson Team Camp

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past week we were in attendance for the always popular Licking Summer Camp. With over 80 total teams spread out over MULTIPLE locations in and around Branson, we are sure to see plenty of talented players. Day 1 and 2 each team gets 7 total matches and the final day they are placed in a bracket to battle it out. The brackets are created before the camp even starts via the camp director. He uses a team's prior known success and their projection for the upcoming season. Oklahoma had 20 total teams which included some JV teams. Let's take a look at a few hitters that stood out while at camp!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='610402' first='Aliyah' last='Owens']- Setter/Right Side for Broken Arrow (OK). She is a top 3 overall player in our class of 2027 rankings for a reason. She can do a little bit of everything. We will just focus on her front row play this time around. The sheer amount of pressure she applies as a blocker is impressive. She does such a phenomenal job of timing it up and pressing over the net. She was causing so many outside hitters to become frazzled throughout matches. She always is a great out of system option with her huge approach and touch point on the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='740699' first='Faith' last='Caffey']- Middle Blocker for Claremore (OK). Faith is new to Claremore and has played in homeschool programs previously but she is making an immediate impact. Her 6'1 frame and efficient play are something that will pop out immediately. She hit .387 for the entire week, which is a very solid hitting efficiency. She ran multiple different tempo balls all across the net. She even had a couple behind the setter attacks that really stretched opposing defenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='261314' first='Phoenix' last='Fogel']- Middle Blocker for Belton (MO). Belton ended up winning arguably the toughest bracket in a very impressive fashion. They rattled off wins over Northside (AR), Broken Arrow (OK) and finally beating Nettleton (AR) in the championship. Phoenix was involved in every one of those wins. Her big time swings and hard work while transitioning is obvious but she brings a very valuable piece of the puzzle. Her Leadership and energy are next level. She is someone who makes her team better the entirety of the match. Belton and Claremore will have a rematch later in the season at the Carl Junction Classic. We will likely see another future article coming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='746715' first='Tinsley' last='Mitchell']- Outside Hitter for Catoosa (OK). Tinsley is back and better than ever. She is returning from a knee injury and flourishing on the outside for the Indians. She has a few really high level IQ type plays. Tight ball? No problem. She will swipe it off the block and calmly walk back to her huddle. They run some up-tempo type sets to her and when she gets a hole in the block, she knows just what to do with it. We are happy to see her back on the court and doing something she loves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749276' first='Addie' last='Ray']- Setter/Right Side for Sand Springs (OK). Addie sets the feel of the game for the Sandites. Much like Owens, she is a menace as a blocker. She is such a strong and smart player that anything she does is tough for opponents to handle. Her ability to swing big down the line and into the gap makes her a big time scorer on the right side. She is almost a lock for a 1st team All Conference pick this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will have more to talk about regarding the 3 day event in Branson. Stay tuned for that and much more to come.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->