Big South: 16 Open Ballers
To continue my Big South series, here are the players I noticed on day 2 that made waves in their pool. Dakota Arnette (Boomers Volleyball Academy 16 Mizuno)– An outside hitter all the way around, Dakota Arnette was her team’s…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTo continue my Big South series, here are the players I noticed on day 2 that made waves in their pool.
Dakota Arnette (Boomers Volleyball Academy 16 Mizuno)– An outside hitter all the way around, Dakota Arnette was her team’s leader on Saturday in the squad’s second round of pool play. At 22-22 in the second set, Arnette rips a ball down line when the game is on the line to go to a third. Arnette is there for her team in the tough situations and knows when she has to step up to the plate. A couple plays later, Arnette shanks one at 24-24 and looks at the setter to say, “Give me the ball. I want it.” Then, what does she do? Arnette goes for a kill on the right side with big cross swing. Any college coach wants that kind of kid on their team.
Christiana Greene (SC Midlands 16 National)– First look at Christiana Greene, and you probably wouldn’t think she’s a dominant middle hitter for her height. However, Green is like a gazelle and hops up there so effortlessly with her approach. A game went 28-26 and while she was in the front row, Greene was relied upon to score every side out. She used her favorite shot which is throwing it off the blocker’s hand for a kill. The team trusted her when the game was on the line, and that’s true leadership.
Victoria Harris (SC Midlands 16 National)– Another player from South Carolina, Victoria Harris was a stud setter for her squad. She immediately sparked my interest when I saw how athletic she was pushing for a ball. Harris is just a player you look at and think, “Yeah, she’s good.” With her hands of gold, Harris also possesses the drive to fly around in defense. She has that mentality the ball can’t drop which is awesome to find in a setter. Also, just because Harris is undersized, doesn’t mean she can’t be offensive either. Harris is super aggressive at the net when the team needs it with her craftiness in setter dumps and hiding where she’s setting.
Payton Parsons (MAVA Adidas 16-Select)– I was actually watching another court, and I turned around for a second to see a player absolutely plummet through a row of chairs with parents in them to chase down a ball. This hustling athlete turned out to be libero, Payton Parsons. Her energy and spunky attitude is contagious on and off the court. The team and parents were just feeding off her enthusiasm and hustle, and it was amazing to see. Parsons always works hard in the back row whether it’s covering in transition, getting back to base, or running down a ball into the chairs. Anyone would love to have someone like Parsons in their gym!