Top Live Eye 2023s Ready To Rock NLQ 16 Open
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These are all players I have seen play LIVE. Not through a highlight video, not coaches notes, not parents writing in, I am taking full ownership of this list through the countless number of matches I’ve seen over the past…
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Continue ReadingThese are all players I have seen play LIVE. Not through a highlight video, not coaches notes, not parents writing in, I am taking full ownership of this list through the countless number of matches I’ve seen over the past year. For college coaches at the Division 1 level, they have been on a dead period for nearly 16 months (which thankfully ends soon). Luckily for me at Prep Dig, I do not have a quiet or dead period. I have seen these athletes from Kansas City, Chicagoland, Indianapolis, Iowa, and even summer leagues in Wisconsin. Here is a look at athletes in all pools who will be competing in 16 Open this weekend in Omaha at the Northern Light Qualifier. Their phones will ring come June 15 for sure.
Paige Miller – FC Elite 16 Navy
She has a spark and fire that she plays with. Not only is she a game-changer as a libero, but she provides an emotional spark to her team where she has a presence. Constantly moving, positive body language, eye contact, makes the routine play, and is so efficient with her movement covering plenty of ground. She is big time, she wants the ball, and others want to play around her. She will be key to the success of an FC Elite 16 Navy team that will be a dangerous opponent this weekend.
Sawyer Thomsen – KC Power 16-1
Ella Swindle, setter for KC Power gets plenty of well-deserved accolades, but one of her go-to targets is Sawyer Thomsen. There are so many options that Thomsen can provide offensively and defensively. Out of the middle, she can close the block and still work in transition to run a variety of tempos. She is extremely deadly off one foot where she can swing right behind her setter or get pushed out to the pin to run a slide. So dynamic, efficient, and versatile which are adjectives that are not attached to many middle blockers.
Cassidy Hartman – Six Pack 16-1
Hartman is a pin hitter who can flat out take over a match. I saw her at the Iowa State Tournament as a Freshman in 2019 and then saw a totally different player in Hartman’s Sophomore year this past fall where she wanted the ball and was taking over matches. She was a key piece to her squads run to a state runner up finish in Iowa’s large school class where she scores points from the front and backrow. I am excited to see her compete in an open level competition in which the opening day pool of KC Power, FC Elite, Six Pack, and Michio will be a Gauntlet.
Kennedy Wagner off to a hot start. She’s big time. A swag to her game where she is confident, active, and just electric. Class of 2023 pin for @1stAllianceVBC— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) March 13, 2021
Kennedy Wagner – 1st Alliance 16 Silver
One of the top players in the 16 Open Division at MEQ, Wagner impacts every part of the game. She can handle a bulk of the terms where teams can try and disrupt her game, forcing her to serve receive, but she comes back pinpointing what spot she is going to score at. Extremely athletic, dynamic, and electric, Wagner finds a way to get it done. 1st Alliance has their open bid wrapped up, but they will be looking for a title this weekend.
Jessica Schmidt – 1st Alliance 16 Silver
At 6’5, teams always have to know where Jessica Schmidt is along the net. She provides a major presence as middle blocker where she can change the shot of an opposing outside attacker and also make backrow attackers think twice about attacking down the pipe. With the defense keying on the pins of 1st Alliance, Schmidt is able to convert on one on one matchups where she knows where to find the deep corner.
Ava Sarafa – Michigan Elite 16 Mizuno
Sarafa is the conductor to the team where she runs the show as a setter. Sarafa keeps her hands high and neutral as she receives the ball where she doesn’t tip her sets to the other side. She can set all tempos in front and behind without giving anything away. She has all the intangibles that teams look for in a setter as well as playing their base defensively and attacking on her own when she sees the opening.
Big arm already by top prospect in Iowa in the Class of 2023 in Lily Dykstra out of Urbandale and @iowapowerplex pic.twitter.com/WhUvyMLsVQ— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) December 6, 2020
Lily Dykstra – Iowa PowerPlex 16 Black
Dykstra can handle a major bulk of the swings for PowerPlex out of West Des Moines. She is a pure six rotation outside where she is currently the top player out of the Class of 2023 in Iowa. She is always an outlet out of the backrow and is definitely one who can save her squad out of system. Plex has been competitive in the open levels, but is looking to break through to those day two gold brackets. They are due.
Our top-rated prospect in the @PrepDig_NE 2023 class, Destiny Ndam-Simpson (84) of Bellevue West, is taking some nice swings on Court 7. pic.twitter.com/vybl7el4IV
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) December 6, 2020
Destiny Ndam-Simpson – Nebraska Elite Top Gun
Pure power. Ndam-Simpson is going to come after opponents full steam ahead. She and Dykstra were both standouts at the Prep Dig Nebraska Top 250 back in December and the moment did not disappoint. Her physicality standouts where she can power her way through the split or can use the block to her advantage. Top Gun got their Open bid at the Windy City Qualifier and will be in the hunt once again this weekend.
Campbell Paris – Sky High 16 Adidas
I am buying stock in the game of Campbell Paris. At 6’4 on the pin she already has a high contact point and is on the brink of a breakthrough to take over matches. If she is able to establish dominance out of the backrow and become a full six rotation attacker, she will be tough to stop anytime she is on the court. Sky High has been in the hunt on Day 2 for Qualifiers and will look to break into a Sunday gold pool.
Middle Emily Honzelka for @stingvb1988 with a huge block. Long and athletic she just hangs up there! Both teams trading points— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 30, 2021
Emily Honzelka – Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold
Honzelka is one of plenty of six foot plus athletes on the 16 Gold squad from Sting. A physical middle blocker, Honzelka has shown major improvements in the past year and is continuing to elevate her game. Her offensive game is coming along where she is more than a blocking middle blocker. She has the power in her swing where others have to respect her presence as an attacker and is starting to score off a variety of tempos.
Ella Christ – Northern Lights 16-1
Northern Lights might be the tallest team in the field this year where their whole squad is six feet or taller. I first saw Christ play at a high school tournament as an 8th grader for Chaska High School out of the Minneapolis Metro area. She has always played up an age group prior to this year and is now officially playing with her graduating class (It took me awhile to make sure that was correct). Christ is a solid athlete who will be able to contribute from the pin and the backrow. She provides plenty of depth at the pin for this really powerful squad who will be a favorite at this event.
Grace Egan – Fusion 16 Red
Be ready to receive a heavy ball. Egan is a top pin out of the Class of 2023 in Illinois where it just hits different. Being courtside watching Egan, you truly get a feel for her power she can swing with out of the front and backrow. She is also a defensive presence with her serve receive and passing game, but her ability to create point scoring opportunities is the name to her game. This is an explosive Fusion 16 Red squad out of Northern Illinois.
Avery Bolles – MN Select 16-1
Bolles is a gamer. She knows what her teams. I’ve seen Select play live at MEQ and on Beller TV. Watching on Baller TV, you really see how Bolles is able to find the opening in the block and can adjust quickly, she’s not predictable with her shots. She is also extremely composed with her body language where she doesn’t get too high or too low, she is the solid presence that her team needs. They punched their ticket to 16 Open at the Windy City Qualifier.
Kate Thibault – MN Select 16-1
Thibault is another one who has been playing on the big stage since she was in middle school where she was the starting libero for her high school team as an 8th grader (MN kids can play varsity athletics as 7th graders). She has also competed in State Gymnastics as well. She makes her position look easy as a libero where she has little wasted movement, reads the other side of the net well, and is such a spark. She has plenty of emotion and positive vibes she is constantly sending to her teammates on the court.
Claudia Aschenbrenner – CIA 16 Black
Another high motor all around athlete is Claudia Aschenbrenner who won a state title with her high school team this past fall. She plays for CIA out of Waterloo, Iowa and is also tearing it up on the track where she will run in her state qualifying meet Thursday night and head straight to Omaha for an early pool play match, she’s that kind of kid. Ashenbrenner has been a middle, but is making the transition to the pin where she can swing away on the left or right side, as well as scoring plenty of points off one foot. You want this athlete in your gym.
Ashley Mullen of @dynastyvbc 15 Black was one of the best setters I have seen at the 15s level. How she moves on the court to her tempo, jump setting, and command of the offense. So impressive!— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) February 16, 2020
Ashley Mullen – Dynasty 16 Black
I first saw Mullen as a 15s player at Triple Crown in 2020 and I was amazed at the location and how fast her hands were for a player at that level. She has total command of the court and knows how to keep everyone involved, setting her attackers up for a favorable matchup. The Kansas City area continues to produce some of the top setters in the country and Mullen is no different.
All starts with a first contact and finishes for an @TheAcademyVB kill by Mya Ayro pic.twitter.com/FZhOjkAgal— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) January 30, 2021
Mya Ayro – Academy 16 Yeti
I could write a whole article on the Academy 16 Yeti squad out of Indianapolis, but I was last left with impressions of Ayro blasting away on the pin at the Prep Dig indy Spring Showcase. Ayro is a pin attacker who is still relatively new to the position having played out of the middle previously. Her physicality and strength is definitely something to take note of where she is a natural. She is a natural with her hand contact and has a crazy big upside to her game.