The Future is Here Vol. 10
We bring our attention back to the Rising Sophomore class of 2023. We will continue to help get exposure to those that deserve it through their efforts to improve on the court. We have been very active in communicating with…
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Continue ReadingWe bring our attention back to the Rising Sophomore class of 2023. We will continue to help get exposure to those that deserve it through their efforts to improve on the court. We have been very active in communicating with College Recruiting Directors all over the state so that we can bring the best to the eyes of the college coaches we have in our database that read our articles. I have spoken to many of them and they are extremely excited about this 2023 class. It is never too early to get exposure. So without further ado, here are a few of the standouts from the 2023 class that I have not written about yet.
Alexandria Youngblood Alexandria Youngblood 5'9" | MB Kennedale | 2023 State TX [2023] 5-7 Middle (HS: Kennedale/Club: Texas Image/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Miss Youngblood is currently ranked as the 63rd top prospect in the 2023 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. This middle from the Dallas area is a sight to see. She is a lot smaller than her counterparts in the position, however she doesn’t play like it. Alex has an amazing vertical that allows her to attack and block against much bigger middles. One thing that truly stands out is her speed in the position. This is speed of footwork and also speed of arm swing. She excels at fast tempo sets out of the middle and its difficult for opposing middles to stay with her if they catch themselves watching the ball. The moment Alex gets a higher tempo set in the middle, she is able to out jump most that try to slow her down. If she doesn’t grow in the next couple of years I see her shifting to the outside where I still think she will blossom well and be able to play at the next level. We will also watch her progress closely as she has the natural athleticism that most college coaches will drool over.
Emily Keohen Emily Keohen 5'8" | S Richland Hills | 2023 State TX [2023] 5-6 Setter (HS: Richland/Club: Texas Image/ Verbal: Uncommitted)
Emily is the 65th ranked prospect in the 2023 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. Miss Keohen is a setter from the North Texas area who has excellent footwork for her age. It is so refreshing to see how well she moves on the court and tracks down all passes from her teammates so easily. She is able to get her hips squared around the ball so well in order to be as efficient as possible with her setting location to her hitters. Emily also has fantastic soft hands, which cradle the ball so well. The ball itself comes off her hands smoothly to each attacker no matter the tempo or location. It is extremely consistent for such a young setter. I think Miss Keohen has what it takes to move up our list over time if she keeps working at her craft. We like what we see for now and will be watching her progress closely.
Gabby Espiricueta Gabby Espiricueta 5'1" | DS/L Cy Creek | 2023 TX [2023] 5-1 Libero (HS: Cypress Creek/Club: Texas Tornados /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Gabby comes in as the 68th ranked prospect in the 2023 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. Gabby is from the northwest Houston area. This tiny firecracker has tons of energy on the court and is a joy to watch as she stops opposing attackers at will. She has a very solid base that allows her to be extremely consistent on serve receive. I love how she anticipates the attack with constantly moving her head and feet until the point of contact. She is always ready for the dig. Her platform is very steady during defense and is strong to deliver the ball right to target. We are going to watch her grow in the position as she is getting some great training at the libero position at her Texas Tornados club.
If you know of any other players or clubs that we need to cover, please email me at nov8vb@yahoo.com. We would also love if you can spread the word about our program here at Prep Dig Texas. We love what we do and if you like our articles, please share them with your friends. Help us help the players get recruited by sharing these highlight stories with the world. Thanks so much for following us!