Sunshine Classic Qualifier: 2027's catching my eye

The Sunshine Qualifier was last weekend with TAV 16 black Paul walking away with the win and a bid to nationals. That group only dropped 1 set the whole weekend… that is a serious feat at any qualifier. But overall it was a good weekend of watching some volleyball. There was once again a lot of top talent and a ton of coaches out on the road to check it out. There were tons of players that stood out but I specifically enjoyed catching a few in action. Here are a few players I saw at the Sunshine Classic:

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Mia Lavelle- Libero, Miami Hype, PPV 181- really impressed by this libero. She moves really well on defense and is STOPPED on contact so she's able to make plays that she wouldn't make if she was still moving. She is also a serious hype woman and keeps her team active and high energy. She is a lively bro that is going to keep growing!

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Lexi Martin- OH, TAV 16 Black Paul, PPV 218- Lexi had a great weekend helping her team come up with the win over the whole tournament. She has a really long approach with a long armswing. She uses her height in her attack, But the thing that stood out to me the most was her ability to swing high hands. She wasn't aiming to BOUNCE balls, she was trying to hit endlines and aim for high block hands. This is a great skill to have at the club level that will serve her well in college.

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Ellie Enger- OH, WPVC, PPV 186- This WPVC team surprised me this weekend. I was impressed with their overall resilience and how well they worked together. I think Enger played a big role in being a high point scorer for this group. She does a really good job at making something out of nothing. She can recycle a bad ball well and keeps balls in play rather than blowing them out of bounds. 

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Paeton Wheeler- Setter, Top Select, PPV 193- she ran a really strong offense with her attackers. She is very strong in her upper body and is able to push the long balls. I really liked how aggressive she was with her set selection. Being at the 10 ft line didn't mean she's out of system- she was running the middles well from off the net. She also seems to have great control of the ball and is able to do a lot with how much control she has with her hands. 

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Bradee Boyd- OH, Tribe, PPV 242- I really enjoy watching her play. She is aggressive and just an overall strong athlete. She has really developed as a player since last season and I am loving watching her play with this Tribe team. I can't wait to keep watching her grow as a player and doing big things for her Tribe team!

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Jenna Dittmer- OPPO, Circle City, PPV 147- I love that she is playing 6 rotations often for this circle city team. More rightsides need to be able to play defense in the back row and to also be an offensive option and I love that Dittmer gets this opportunity with this team. Her effort on defense stands out to me and she gets some good touches in the back row. I will be following to see room for movement on her PPV this year.

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Isabel Incinelli- OH WPVC, PPV 270- STUD outside hitter. She stands out in this group. She is really a star and proved it this past weekend. She is really long but uses that to her advantage in passing and attacking. She reads the court really well and does a great job at shifting in the back row to create space for the back row attack. She is thinking at a high level as a 16 and it's impressive. Coaches definitely have their eyes on this one. 

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Alexandra Kennedy- MB, Top Select, PPV 157- super defensive middle. She is really disciplined in serve receive, waiting to release in case the ball comes to her. She's a fiery player, jumping up and down after a point is won. She moves well on the block and is always going to try to get hands in her attacker's face. I will keep my eye on her to see her grow this season!

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Reese Maslowski- OH, MAVS, PPV 155- just an overall solid attacker. She brings energy to her team and helps them out when they need her to. Maslowski is just a fun hitter to watch. She was a player that I saw bursts of really strong volleyball from. I will keep my eyes on her for a PPV increase this season.

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Marley VanWanZeele- MB, Circle City, PPV 123- She is a really long middle blocker. I can't wait to watch her develop her lateral movement because I think she could become a really strong blocker with some improved speed! When she gets her hand on a ball offensively she can swing with a ton of power. I am excited to see her grow and develop because she has some real potential and is already showing it!

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Claire Sandstrom- OH, HPSTL, PPV 164- A really quick attacker. She is not afraid of a big block because chances are she is beating it with speed. She celebrates with her team after a big kill and is a ton of fun to watch. She passes well, giving her setter time to get to the ball and attacks with rhythm after she passes too. She's got great angles and takes courageous swings!

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