AAU Nationals: Players Who Shined
The AAU Championships in Orlando have concluded, and some of the best players from the state of Washington showed out in the Sunshine State! Here are just some of the standouts. MB/OH Kailey Willsey Yakima Elite 16 National/Davis. Willsey is…
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Continue ReadingThe AAU Championships in Orlando have concluded, and some of the best players from the state of Washington showed out in the Sunshine State! Here are just some of the standouts.
MB/OH Kailey Willsey Yakima Elite 16 National/Davis. Willsey is the rare 6 rotation Middle, a testament to her skill and versatility. Fundamentally sound in her transition off the net, she delivered block touch after block touch to make things easy for the back row. When Yakima Elite’s setters needed a kill, they found her in all three front row positions. Could easily move to a full-time 6-rotation OH.
Libero Angeline Maria Fernandez WVBA Black 16/Holy Names. I was super impressed with the 2025 energizers’ quick feet and all-out play. Fernandez commanded half the court at times in serve receive and ignited the team with one-handed stabs to save points. One to watch!
MB Paige Sturing Shockwave 17/Hanford. A 6’3 presence at the net, Sturing showed an aggressive block and attacked accurately from in front of and behind the setter, with versatility from both pins. A 2024 rising sophomore, she held her own playing up and should break out in a huge way during the Mid-Columbia Conference season this fall.
S/RS Payton Lindeman Tahoma 16U. Excellent footwork allows Lindeman time to get to balls and deliver accurate sets. She easily steps in and plays tips instinctively with soft hands and good reads from the right back. As an attacker has a smooth lefty swing she moves around to effectively score and tool the block.
OH Hedia Lewis WVBA 16 Adidas/The Bush School. Lewis is a joy to watch with a smooth swing that generates explosive shots to the deep corner, mixed with a deceptive roll shot from a high contact point. Just as impressive in the back row, she easily handled tough serves with a solid platform.
S Grace Jones WVBA 16 Adidas/South Whidbey. Jones shows great fundamentals, delivering a hittable ball to her attackers all tournament long. The 2024 left-hander was smart with her attacks and mixed things up when taking her shots offensively.
OH Maddie Finnegan Renovators 16 Mark/Gonzaga Prep. The athletic outside is a shot maker, with high-hand attacks, cut shots, and a deft push to the corner alongside her power down the line. Finnegan willingly got on the floor for sprawling digs and has a float-serve that stays flat with a good pace.
S/DS Sophie Worden Athena 17 Black/Columbia River. Worden commanded the court for her Athena team as a setter, talking consistently with her hitters in and out of play. Worden is not afraid to push a ball to the right side against the flow of play or set up her middles from the 10-foot line, and her consistent set-up kept the blockers guessing.
MB Danika Johnson Renovators 17 Shawn/Mead. The rangy 6’1 Johnson gets back fast in transition well past the 10-foot line. She had great anticipation and vision of the opposing team’s offense and worked well pin to pin. She has great coaching coming from the highly successful Mead program.
Libero Maile Lani Sugamura WVBA 17 Adidas/Bellevue. A strong defender who easily makes adjustments to deliver a great pass to her setter. With outstanding technique when setting the second ball, Sugamura kept the offense flowing when out of system. She finished off her passes beautifully with great technique and hold of the passing platform.