WSC Classic #9 – The Setters
In this article:
The 2022 club season is starting to wind down in the state of Texas as most teams will see limited playing time in the next weeks as they finalize their preparations for next month’s 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 2022 club season is starting to wind down in the state of Texas as most teams will see limited playing time in the next weeks as they finalize their preparations for next month’s 2022 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Indianapolis.
A lot has been shown over the last six months as familiar names confirmed our positive impressions about them and new names were added to our rankings and watchlists in every corner of the Lone Star State.
Some tournaments are still going on, though, and we, at Prep Dig, are determined to not waste any opportunity of spotting a new prospect and giving visibility to those who stand out and deserve our recognition.
This past weekend I was at the WSC Classic #9, which was held at the popular Willowbrook Sports Complex in the Houston area, and reunited 12 teams in its hybrid 17s/18s division. We’ve identified some names that deserve to be in the spotlight and will use this week to do it, starting today with the setters.
Savannah Jennings Savannah Jennings 5'10" | S Rosehill Christian | 2023 State TX – TX Legacy 17 Elite – HS: Rosehill Christian – 2023
Savannah Jennings Savannah Jennings 5'10" | S Rosehill Christian | 2023 State TX is one of the players we already knew about, but further impressed us with her performance this past weekend. A 5’10” setter that’s very fluid with the ball in her hands, she ran TX Legacy 17 Elite’s offense in an intelligent and efficient way, keeping all hitters involved and putting each of them in a good position to score time and time again. Jennings stands out for her excellent accuracy and does an excellent job when working with passes off the net. She’s a good blocker and an asset on the backcourt too with her dangerous serving and solid defense.
Dallas Copelin – Catalyst 17 Green – HS: St. John XXIII – 2023
A 5’5” setter with limited size, but excellent ball-handling, Dallas Copelin was a key piece in her Catalyst 17 Green team. She has a quick release and is extremely accurate with her locations. Copelin also thrives on avoiding obvious choices with her ball distribution, which keeps opponents on their toes against her. Also capable of playing as a defensive specialist, she’s very proficient on the backcourt, especially because of her ability to anticipate plays.
Abigail Whitehead – Texas Diamonds 17 Black – 2024
Abigail Whitehead ran the offense of her Texas Diamonds 17 Black team extremely well. She has good size for the position, but also excellent mobility, which helps her track passes around the court. Whitehead also does a great job in using her lower and upper body strength to set against the flow of play and she’s never afraid of setting a hitter who’s across the court from her. She has a really solid game on the backcourt too, with excellent serving and very good defensive instincts.
Anna Blaine Anna Blaine 6'1" | S Concordia Lutheran | 2024 State TX – TX Legacy 16 Elite – HS: Klein Cain – 2024
Not many setters of her age do such a good job in combining size and skills as Anna Blaine Anna Blaine 6'1" | S Concordia Lutheran | 2024 State TX does. At 6’1”, she’s sometimes the tallest player on the court, but that doesn’t take anything away from her talent as a setter. Blaine likes to play fast and uses her ability to jump set to accelerate the game and not lose precision. She’s also very intelligent as she runs her uptempo game but never pushes it more than she should. Blaine is also a very good blocker and takes up hitting duties when at the net.
Alyssa Gatlin – Allegiance 18 Royal – HS: Providence Classical – 2023
A very complete and technically-gifted player, Alyssa Gatlin can play any role on the court. She was primarily a setter for the Allegiance 18 Royal team during the tournament, but also spent a couple of rotations hitting on the left. She’s 5’9”, but, as a track student-athlete, jumps really well and uses her impressive athleticism to her advantage, especially when operating with tight passes. With the ball in her hands, Gatlin is very clean and creative with her distribution.