Deng is always in balance; she has a rhythm and routine in serve receive that gets her in front of the ball with a solid, sound platform. Coaches also liked her size and movement as a back row defender; she has the length to cover the corners and quickness to run down tips to the middle. Deng showed a tough jump float serve that she can not only locate, but also hit with pace.

Sophia Deng has a soothing presence in the back row. Another play that stuck with me was seeing her take a powerful cross-court swing, keep her platform quiet, and put a perfect pass that immediately turned into a kill on the next contact. Those are the rallies that swing momentum. She’s always providing her team with quality first contact, and that’s one reason she’s becoming a defender college coaches need to know. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas