Red Rock Rave Day 3 Recap

First before we talk about the recap... I would like to encourage everyone to send their thoughts and prayers to the Estervig family as they go through their unthinkable tragedy that occurred on their way home from the tournament.   A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the family with funeral expenses and other immediate needs.   GoFundMe: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-estervig-family" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-estervig-family</a>    Thank you to everyone who has already reached out, given, and shown support.   Now that we have had a few days to digest Red Rock Rave let's dive into our recap and some things that we saw from the tournament and talk about some teams who won bids!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Teams that stood out:</h2>   These are teams that stood out to us, this is not a full list of teams who earned a bid! We wanted to post teams we saw in person that did well, here is the list from day 3!   Atomic Smack 17 Premier: bid earned to USAV 17 Liberty   AZ Sky 18 Gold: bid earned to USAV 18 Open   AZ Storm 16 Thunder: bid earned to USAV 16 Open   AZ Sky 18 Blue: bid earned to USAV 18 Liberty   AZ Storm 17 Thunder: double bid winners to USAV 17 Open   AZ Storm 15 Thunder: double bid winners to USAV 15 Open   Omni 15N1: bid earned to USAV 15 USA   Arizona almost got to 10 bids this weekend which demonstrated how well AZ is represented at the national level. With it being a busy time for NQ, expect a lot of AZ teams to get bids over the next few weeks! We will start a running count here soon with our website and instagram so be on the lookout for that.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players who stood out on Day 2/3:</h2>    Joelle was absolutely dominate this weekend for Omni and was virtually unstoppable on both the offensive and defensive side on the ball all weekend. Joelle is a force with her blocking, as she played above the tape with strong hands and excellent timing, consistently sealing blocks and forcing opposing hitters into tough swings. Her ability to take away space and control the middle made a noticeable impact on every match she played. Offensively, she was a force in transition, running quick, explosive routes and attacking with authority. Her arm swing was heavy and decisive, allowing her to score cleanly on first tempo balls and finish over or through the block. Could make the argument that on Monday she was the best player on the floor in each match she played, that is how dominate she was.     Another middle who is a game changer in the 15's division. Mia is someone who moves with purpose and can do a lot for her team on the offensive end. She is able to run both in front and behind the center. One aspect of her game that stood out was how she was able to swing and hit to all spots on the floor. She could run the same offensive attack but hit to zone 1 and zone 6 or she could hit a off speed shot if needed. However, she normally doesn't need to go off speed as she can read and see a defense and just hit to open spots on the floor with force too. She is a standout player in general but really stood out this weekend at Red Rock.     Annabelle is our last middle on this list but might be the best of the bunch with her weekend. Offensively, she was efficient and quick, running a variety of tempo sets and staying available in transition throughout rallies. She connected well with her setter, showing the ability to score on quicks, slides, and second-effort plays. On the defensive side she established herself early with disciplined footwork and great timing, consistently closing blocks and taking away angles from opposing hitters. Her ability to read the setter and move laterally allowed her to be involved in plays across the entire net, not just in her zone against other middles. She was a force all weekend and someone who stood out to us.     Elana is a pin hitter playing on AZ Sky 16 Gold who was one match away from making the gold bracket and Elana had a lot to do with that. She is most impressive with her ability to elevate over the block and feels like levitate while she does her approach. She consistently terminated in high-pressure moments, showing a heavy, controlled arm swing with the ability to score from the front row on both pins. We also liked how her range included tooling the block, finding deep corners, and adjusting mid-air to outsmart defenders rather than just overpower them. She was really impressive and her motor never dipped, and she brought a competitive edge that elevated her team in tight sets throughout the weekend.     Sami is a fun player to watch because she plays so fearless at the net. She showcased a powerful arm swing, consistently generating high contact and driving the ball with pace to all areas of the court. Whether in system or out of system, she found ways to terminate, showing the ability to tool the block and make smart shot selections when needed. She proved to be a true six-rotation player when we watched her, handling serve receive with poise and delivering consistent passes that kept her team in rhythm offensively. Defensively, she brought strong effort and awareness, tracking balls well and turning digs into transition opportunities. Overall she was a top level player over the weekend, and really helped bring Atomic their bid with her high level play.    We can't wait to see what the rest of the 2026 club season will bring!   As always, make sure you are following us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigarizona/?hl=en">@PrepDigArizona </a>as well as our scouts<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdiganthony/"> @PrepDigAnthony</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coachmarissamorah/">@CoachMarissaMorah</a>.   Want to get on our radar? Do the following:Follow us on Instagram, Nominate Through our<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGWSR1w3a_ZgKVLmUouN7ymhvldIHGmG6f6zWs54-pGTM_-A/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116487285663927782556"> Form</a>, and Send us your Highlights!

First before we talk about the recap... I would like to encourage everyone to send their thoughts and prayers to the Estervig family as they go through their unthinkable tragedy that occurred on their way home from the tournament.