SWI3D Be Kind Tournament: The Best Liberos/Defensive Specialists
No team wins without good defense. This is just a fact and in volleyball it is especially true. A team needs it’s diggers as well as it’s hitters to win. I’d like to give some recognition to some of the…
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Continue ReadingNo team wins without good defense. This is just a fact and in volleyball it is especially true. A team needs it’s diggers as well as it’s hitters to win. I’d like to give some recognition to some of the best liberos and defensive specialists I saw at SWI3D’s Be Kind tournament this weekend.
Taylan Keefer Taylan Keefer OH Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2020 State IA of SWI3D 18 Black – Taylan is just very, very good. She attends Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln and plays varsity during the regular school season, helping to lead the Lynx to the state tournament last fall. She has a .951 serve efficiency with 25 aces and 5.68 DPS during that run to state. In the championship match for the 17/18s division you could just see the burning determination to get to every ball. She almost ran off the court and into the barrier wall at one point to make sure they didn’t lose the point in contention.
Abbey Jones Abbey Jones DS/L Red Oak | 2021 State IA of SWI3D 17 Black – Abbey plays for Red Oak during her regular high school season as a setter. During club season she plays libero for the SWI3D 17 Black team. Her school stats are a .907 serve efficiency with 30 aces, 4.68 APS, and 2.02 DPS. She is a ball of determination and athleticism and one of the best players to control the court and dig every ball. Next year I expect her to lead her school team as a player never off the court.
Grace Twelmeyer of Johnston Volleyball Club 18s – Grace plays for Des Moines Lincoln during her school season and has a .926 serve efficiency with 32 aces and 3.32 DPS. She saved her team tons of points and I enjoyed watching her during the tournament.
Ally Whatley of Des Moines Roosevelt Riders 18s – Ally attends Des Moines Roosevelt and graduates in 2022. Her school stats for 89 of her school’s 96 sets are a .904 serve efficiency with 29 aces and 1.79 DPS. She is only a sophomore so we can look for big things from Ally in the next two years before her graduation. The Riders 18s coach noted her as their best all-around player during the tournament as well.
Adrien Hanson of Des Moines Roosevelt Riders 18s – Adrien is in the class of 2021 at Des Moines Roosevelt. She has a .909 serve efficiency with 42 aces and 3.04 DPS. She is quick and gets most hits or serves that come her way. She is very good and I was excited to see her play.
Makenna Pew of NE Top Flight 15 Blue – Makenna plays her regular high school season at Papillion LaVista High School. Her play at the Be Kind tournament shows her to be one of the best up and coming liberos in the metro area.