Can't-Miss Athletes and Big First Impressions at NLQ

I’ve mentioned before that much of the joy of covering these big national qualifiers comes from discovering big-time talents that I’ve never seen before. Minneapolis had so many athletes that fulfilled this last weekend. The Northern Lights Qualifier brought in teams from nearly every corner of the United States, and there are bound to be some new names that pop up on my radar. That’s what this feature is all about. We’re looking at players that absolutely went off while I watched them live for the first time. These are athletes that will surely be fun to follow in 2022 and beyond, so let’s get them on your radar now, too.   [player_tooltip player_id="179890" first="Taylor" last="Porter"] - 5’11 OH - Houston Skyline 15 Royal There is so much credit to go around for Houston Skyline’s undefeated run through the 15 Open division. Porter made a habit out of shredding opposing defenses on either pin and was one of NLQ’s most prolific scorers throughout the weekend.   [player_tooltip player_id="179893" first="Bayleigh" last="Minor"] - 6’0 MB - Houston Skyline 15 Royal You know I had to include another 15 Royal player here. Minor is quite simply an athlete who can succeed at anything she does. She’s a superb track star who brings that incredible speed and elevation to the middle blocker position on the volleyball court. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We’ve got another talented 15s battle on Court 20 between Kairos and Houston Skyline. Middle blocker Bayleigh Minor has been so impressive for Skyline. <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDigTX</a> <a href="https://t.co/zVuDzjtH8E">pic.x.com/zVuDzjtH8E</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1505209496645390340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   [caption id="attachment_187318" align="alignright" width="468"]<img class="wp-image-187318" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/03/IMG_8108-crop-3648x2395-1648225523-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="468" height="307" /> Cugino (5) handling serve receive for Mintonette m.61.[/caption] Maddie Cugino - 5’9 DS/L - Mintonette m.61 It’s hard to find a zone that Cugino can’t cover. The more you watch this libero, the more you realize how often she puts herself in the right position to make a positive first contact. She’s everywhere. Cugino’s leadership will continue to be a huge factor in Mintonette’s championship aspirations in 2022.   [player_tooltip player_id="179965" first="Zoe" last="Gillen-Malveaux"] - 6’3 MB - Drive Nation 16 Red Gillen-Malveaux brings a physically imposing game that resembles many other fantastic Drive Nation athletes I’ve watched this year. It’s so hard to believe she’s just a 2025, as this middle blocker makes such smart decisions at the net and provides a mature presence every time she’s on the court. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Another physical battle in 16 Open as Drive Nation 16 Red and OT 16 O Roberto face off. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux has been incredibly disruptive for 16 Red. So strong in the middle. <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDigTX</a> <a href="https://t.co/mp3ZF3X2rU">pic.x.com/mp3ZF3X2rU</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1505230987084668932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   McKenna Garr - 5’7 DS/L - Mizuno Northern Lights 15-1 It feels like there are a lot of players on this Lights squad that are skilled enough to play libero, but Garr stands out every time she’s in that role. Her defensive range kept her team in all the tough rallies last weekend, and she’s particularly adept at picking up the crosscourt in left-back. Minnesota isn’t having a libero shortage anytime soon.   Gabrielle Wire - 5’10 OH - Mission 16 Elite Wire’s whip of an arm cannot go unnoticed. She was a dominant force in Minneapolis and helped her Mission 16 Elite team in nearly every way possible. Her out-of-system scoring prowess is a standout trait that will keep Wire in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.   Alea Goolsby - 5’10 OH/DS - KC Power 16-1 Players like Goolsby will do anything to win. She can play a six-rotation left side role when her number is called and can bring an absolute hammer on the left pin. Meanwhile, Goolsby brings unmatched backcourt skills and is absolutely lights out in serve receive. Keep in mind that she’s just a 2025, too.   [player_tooltip player_id="124139" first="Cayley" last="Hanson"] - 6’2 S/OPP - Houston Skyline 16 Royal Longtime readers know I love to watch a good setter-opposite, and Hanson was exactly that at NLQ. She’s so physical and aggressive whether she’s in an attacking role or running the offense at setter. Hanson can easily shift into a 5-1, so her repertoire is not limited by any system that 16 Royal might want to run.   Allie Shondell - 5’10 S - The Academy Boiler Jrs 16 Gold The Shondell lineage keeps making contributions to Boilers at all levels. This 2024 setter ran the 16 Gold offense with terrific pace and was equally effective in right-back defense. Better yet, Shondell’s stout ball control skills are an embodiment of this entire Boiler Jrs team that had an impressive weekend at NLQ.   [caption id="attachment_187322" align="alignright" width="449"]<img class="wp-image-187322" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/03/IMG_8185-crop-4612x3029-1648225793-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="449" height="295" /> Onell attacks for FC Elite 15 Navy.[/caption] Campbell Onell - 5’10 MB/RS - FC Elite 15 Navy Just another big-time tournament performance for Onell. She caught my attention at our Prep Dig Chi-Town Classic last month, and she did it again in Minneapolis. Her speed to the right pin is rare for her age, and she combines that with the versatility to attack off of either one or two feet.