Nashville AAU Super Regional: Top 15s Liberos
Recently, there was an AAU tournament in Nashville, TN where many teams fought for a bid to nationals. There was tons of talent in the 15s division, and I want to highlight as many players as possible! To start, here…
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Continue ReadingRecently, there was an AAU tournament in Nashville, TN where many teams fought for a bid to nationals. There was tons of talent in the 15s division, and I want to highlight as many players as possible! To start, here is a list of liberos to watch out for!
Morgan Leonard- TDV 15 National
This girl has such a natural push to the ball in defense. Her first move that I saw was a one hand dig in the corner from a setter dump. Morgan Leonard plays middle back for her team and impacts the squad with her lightning fast reflexes. She’s always moving and making plays. I’d like to think she’s her team’s “energy bunny.” To have one of those super energetic kids that would run through a wall rather than let the ball drop is truly a gift!
Maggie Kalisz- M1 14 Blue
This team caught my eye when I quickly noticed they were 14 year olds rather than 15s. After watching them play, I saw how good they were for their age, and then I watched their libero… Maggie Kalisz is so smooth and confident. I would say she almost glides to where she’s supposed to go and makes everything look simple. In serve receive, she gets to the ball so quick and has all of her platform adjustments done fast. Plus, she always takes care of that second ball contact with a purpose. I even witnessed her bump set the middle a two ball perfectly. Watching Maggie play is true beauty!
Isabella Lynch- Shock 15 UA Spark
A libero that stood out defensively, Isabella Lynch was a fun one to watch this past weekend. She is very athletic and actually puts her body in front of the ball almost every time defensively and in serve receive. It’s the simple things with Isabella that make her a great player. I watched her pass a free ball and a down ball in the same play on the right half of the court, and she intently focused on getting her body there and then tilting those shoulders perfectly to get that ball to the target. This is what you want you as a coach- a kid that can do her job but also take pride in what she’s doing!
Alyx Barkus- Shock 15 UA Storm
Finishing second in the tournament, Shock 15 UA Storm took everyone by surprise because of their strength in the front row and one of their star liberos, Alyx Barkus. When the front row player gets pulled back to pass in the serve receive pattern, it’s hard to pass the ball deep and then come up to hit all at once. Barkus did a really great job at covering the seams of her hitters, so they could transition to swing. This libero is determined about getting her job done, so the team can have success. That’s a rare quality to find in players nowadays!