5 Unsung Players at the Kaizen Invitational: Part 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kaizen Invitational moved from the Cox Center downtown this year to the Expo Center at the Fairgrounds- which was a welcome move with more space and more opportunity to expand.&nbsp; Along with the new location came new dates, with the tournament finding itself on President's Day weekend this year.&nbsp; This move pit the tournament up against various out of state tournaments such as the Nike President's Day Classic and the NIT- which lead to some interesting competition and a unique mix of teams competing this year.&nbsp; Opportunities for players to make their mark were readily available, and her are 5 that caught our eye this weekend:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='904385' first='Lucia' last='Bussey'] – OH, Club Ace 14</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Club Ace 14 had quite a run at Kaizen- coming in as the 7^th seed and emerging as champions of the 14s Gold Bracket.&nbsp; Lucia, outside hitter from Bartlesville, lead the team in several statistical categories.&nbsp; Tops in both aces and kills- she scored points for her team consistently on both days.&nbsp; She was also a key contributor in serve receive- a critical component of being a well-rounded outside hitter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='902935' first='Bonnie' last='Clarkson'] – L, Virago 14 National</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Virago 14 National has had several solid performances this season- including their 5^th place finish at the Kaizen Invitational.&nbsp; This team has a very high floor- built upon tough defense, good serve receive, and minimizing of errors.&nbsp; The biggest contributor of this style of play is their libero [player_tooltip player_id='902935' first='Bonnie' last='Clarkson'] out of Claremore.&nbsp; Clarkson reads well, and is able to cover a large area of court on defense.&nbsp; Her team really relies on her leadership and communication to keep up the defensive intensity- making it tough for opponents to end rallies.&nbsp; She is very consistent and steady on serve receive- using quick feet to beat the ball to the spot and deliver quality looks for her team's offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='779593' first='Shadee' last='Stewart'] – S/RS, Virago 18 Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a saying that the best competitors are not motivated by winning nearly as much as they are motivated by hating to lose.&nbsp; Shadee is definitely a competitor, and definitely hates to lose.&nbsp; Never shy about hitting the floor, she plays at a breakneck pace whether its defensively or transitioning up to the net to set.&nbsp; Stewart is a jack of all trades- playing virtually every position at one time or another in her career- which has led her to being more than serviceable as a setter, passer, or hitter.&nbsp; Virago 18 Elite has taken advantage of this versatile skill set by utilizing her as a back row setter, while having her hit and contribute in serve receive in the front row.&nbsp; The competition and gameplay gained this club season will serve her well as she continues her career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='740825' first='Jade' last='Hurley'] – OH, Charge 16 National Tulsa</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jade was the primary offensive threat for Charge 16 National Tulsa this weekend, on their way to their 16's Division Championship.  She was able to score in volume on a variety of different tempos, utilizing different tools in her offensive repertoire all weekend.  In a tight 3 set match against Virago 16 National in the finals, it was Hurley that Charge looked to when they needed a critical point. This club season will be critical for her as she prepares to take hold of the starting OH at Victory Christian this upcoming school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='734768' first='Slaydon' last='Francis'] – L, Elevate E.52</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slaydon is another defensive player that greatly contributes to her team's success.&nbsp; She was a big reason Elevate was able to advance to the gold bracket this weekend.&nbsp; She is steady on serve receive, and displays a lot of speed and quickness covering the court defensively.&nbsp; Where Francis really stands out is the serving line.&nbsp; She is able to consistently generate points for her team with her tough float serve.&nbsp; On top of the aces she earns, she consistently keeps the other team's offense out of system and off balance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->