Presidents Day Challenge 18 Open Standouts
The 2020 Presidents Day Challenge is in the books and some great action was on display in Detroit. The 18 Open/Premier Division saw some rising talent try to make a name from themselves and quite a few caught my eye.…
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Continue ReadingThe 2020 Presidents Day Challenge is in the books and some great action was on display in Detroit.
The 18 Open/Premier Division saw some rising talent try to make a name from themselves and quite a few caught my eye.
Maverick 18 Elite-Smack: The champions of the division came from Ohio in Maverick, who went 6-0 on the weekend and didn’t drop a single set. Leading them to the title was dynamic outside Samantha Ott (Wright State). She really did it all as a six-rotation outside. Ott had the powerful finishes at the net, the smooth passing in the back, and the fastball serve. Maverick had a lot of solid hitting, all made to look better by setter Katy Yopko (Northern Kentucky). Yopko called all the right numbers this weekend and also knew when to make a play on her own. Calm and composed, Yopko was in complete control.
Jessica FlornMichigan Elite 17 Elite: Michigan’s own Michigan Elite 17 Elite played up in age division and nearly came away with the title, but lost to Maverick in the final, 25-23, 25-15. It was still a solid weekend for the squad, as they were able to really push themselves against elder competition. Middle Ella Lochbiler played six rotations while hitting over .500 this weekend. Jessica Florn also was strong at libero. She was a tough serve for many opponents, racking up 13 aces while being a consistent passer against strong hitting.
FaR Out 18 Red: The Grand-Rapids based squad reached the semifinals of the gold bracket before falling to Michigan Elite 17 Elite by scores of 25-22, 25-18. They were 4-2 for the weekend, losing to just the two finalists. Hitting looked to be the strength of the team when I got my eyes on them. Morgan Fugate on the outside and Alison DeWeerd in the middle were consistent finishers for FaR Out and were able to go swing-for-swing with the top arms in the tournament.
TVC 18-Black: The Toledo-based squad reached the semifinals of the gold bracket before bowing out to Mavericks. They went 4-1 for the weekend with the lone loss to the champs, 25-19, 25-22. You couldn’t watch TVC without noticing middle Morgan Green (Kentucky State). Green had a tremendous vertical that allowed her to deliver the hammer when timed up with her setter. She also was a great block on defense and moved on the court with ease. That setter for TVC was Lizzie Kemp (New York University), who also showed a lot of athleticism and agility with her play. Kemp did a great job of feeding her power arms and finding ways to keep tough passes in-system.
Some other players that caught my eye in the division this weekend from in-state programs:
Milla Sherman, OH Five:1 18-Black
Zoe Rhines, MH Five:1 18-Black
Gabriella Kellogg, OH Michigan Elite 18 Elite
Emily Hagelthorn, L Michigan Elite 18 Elite
Olivia Webber, MH Redline 18 Black
Ashley Miller, S Five:1 18-Blue
Alexa Withun, OPP/MH Michigan Elite 18 National East
Kelsey Starnes, OH Crank It 18u Shin