Girls Dream Team of the Week: Messer, Hudson, Robinson, Keefe, Robins, Hunt, Navarrette, Carr

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VolleyballMag.com DREAM TEAM for February 23

S: Reese Messer, 5-11 Freshman, Dynasty 16 Black — Messer’s quickness, athleticism and intelligence were on full display this weekend for Triple Crown 16s champion Dynasty. In 20 sets, the freshman contributed 204 assists while adding 42 digs, 12 kills and 10 blocks. “Reese is a stud!” exclaimed head coach Cassie Rockers. “She truly shined this weekend! All of our pins were dominant this weekend, and that can’t happen without Reese! She’s so quick on her feet, getting her hands on almost every ball and dishing from anywhere on the court! She keeps us in system in times we shouldn’t be and that’s truly an athletic gift!

”

I can’t say enough about her performance this weekend, especially being her first open level tournament! Reese played 14’s last year (American). The jump in age division and game speed hasn’t slowed her down one bit and her basketball background has been quite helpful when it comes to net play. She is so fierce at the net and turns broken plays into earned points. She’s unbelievable and I can’t wait to see her continue to grow in this game!”

OH: Eva Hudson, 6-1 Senior, Munciana 18 Samurai — Hudson had 25 kills to lead Samurai to the title in the 18s division at Triple Crown. Hudson took and scored on the majority of the team’s swings, using her power and intelligence to pillory the Sunshine defense. Samurai coach Mike Lingenfelter said that Hudson, who recently decommitted from Notre Dame, was one of the very best, if not the best, attacker that he’s ever had.

OH: Jurnee Robinson, 6-0 Junior, A5 Mizuno 17-Ping — Robinson did everything for A5 in its 9-0 run through the 17s division at Triple Crown. Ultra-athletic, Robinson was a blocking menace at the net and a terminal attacker who could not be stopped. The final swing by the LSU commit clinched a tight finals win over Drive Nation 17 Red, but an injury coming down tempered the post-match celebration. She should know this week the extent of the lower leg injury.

RS: Kerry Keefe, 6-2 Senior, Sunshine 18 LA — A Duke signee, everything this southpaw touched turned to gold at Triple Crown this weekend. She attacked with power and efficiency from the right side and in the back row and her passing and defense are highly underrated. Keefe’s work helped Sunshine reach the 18s championship match in Kansas City.

MB: Reese Robins, 6-5 Junior, Drive Nation 17 Red — A Louisville recruit, all eyes were on Robins this weekend. A high energy player, Robins played with fire and intelligence both on attack and blocking at the net. Her inspired work helped Drive Nation get to the 17s championship match at Triple Crown.

MB: Julia Hunt, 6-2 Sophomore, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami — Hunt was the go-to hitter for Tsunami, which played without its two top outsides yet managed to reach the 16s championship match at Triple Crown. A lot of that was owing to the play of Hunt in the middle. Highly recruited, she used her long arms and tenacity to score even against blocks committed to stopping her.

Libero: Gigi Navarrete, 5-7 Junior, 1st Alliance 17 Gold — Navarrete averaged 5.37 digs per set and totaled 93 digs for the weekend for 1st Alliance, which finished tied for third in the 17s division at Triple Crown. “Her aggressive drive and motivation is so infectious that the opponent’s players, coaches and other parents recognize it!” coach Danielle Mikos said. “When Gigi is on the floor, confidence oozes into all of her teammates and we believe we will win in all situations. In addition to Gigi’s amazing intangibles, her defensive abilities are second to none. When strategizing, we can leave the difficult areas of the court exposed for Gigi to cover. Her range and ability to read and react is remarkable! Our blockers feel very comfortable knowing that Gigi will back them up. When situations were tight, Gigi looked calmly at her teammates and took control of the serve receive. She was amazing!”

DS: Hayley Carr, 5-6 Sophomore, FaR Out 16 Black — A serving specialist to start the season, Carr has embraced and thrived in her new role. She passed a 2.07 and added a team-high 15 aces and 21 digs for FaR Out, which won 16 Open at the President’s Day Challenge in Detroit. “She is prime example of what being an exceptional teammate is, and owning your role in the moment,” noted coach Val Lurye. “She has been incredibly selfless through the process, and through that she’s built the trust of her coaches and teammates. She was without a doubt our tournament MVP. She saved us multiple times and got us back into the matches with her serve and steady defensive play. “

Also considered (by position, in order of consideration):

S/RS: Caroline Kerr, 6-0 Senior, Illini Elite 18 Cardinal — A Tennessee commit, Kerr ran the offense so well for a 7-2 team this weekend, that coach Kyle Caldwell was stopped at Triple Crown by club coaches, college coaches and officials alike who were impressed by her work. Kerr averaged 12 assists per set.

S: Aubrey Asleson, 5-10 Freshman, SPVB 15 Elite — Asleson had a great weekend leading her team to first at the SPVB President’s Day Challenge. She had 127 assists for the event and added 22 kills while hitting a robust .595. She added 15 aces and was named tournament MVP.

S: Isabelle Brown, 5-10 Freshman, Circle City 15 Purple — Brown was a key factor in Circle’s 15 Open win at the President’s Day Tournament in St. Louis. Brown ran a 5-1 offense with great efficiency and won jousts at the net like she was 6-5. “Isabelle is an old school type of player- she will take out a wall and risk everything to keep the ball alive,” said recruiting coordinator Jenna Tadros. “She put on an absolute show.”

***

RS: Camille Morrision, 6-0 Sophomore, SPVB 16 Elite — Playing in the 17/18 Open division at the SPVB Presidents’ Day Challenge, Morrison hit .315 on 124 swings and passed a 2.14. “There was a match she specifically took over herself, hitting .429 with 21 attempts as an opposite attacker,” noted coach Seth Salmon. “She was a huge threat this weekend and was a big part to our 6-2 record on the weekend.”

RS: Lauren Coyne, 6-2 Freshman, SPVB 15 Elite — Coyne led the attack for 15 Elite in its winning effort at the SPVB President’s Day Challenge. The freshman hit .364 with 44 kills. She added 14 blocks and 19 aces. “Lauren played her best volleyball when the team needed her in a tough championship match against Alabama Performance 16 Red,” coach Kelly Stapleton noted.

***

OH: Skyler Pierce, 6-2 Sophomore, Dynasty 16 Black — It’s hard not to recognize the entire Dynasty team after the clinic they put on in the Triple Crown 16s championship match, but Pierce was special. She scored front row and back, got way over the net to intimidate on the block and was a confident and consistent passer and defender.

OH: Abigail Vander Wal, 6-2 Freshman — Vander Wal stands 6-2 and used her power to take a lot of clutch swings for 15s division champion 1st Alliance at Triple Crown. She was especially effective in Game 3 of the quarterfinal versus Houston Skyline 15 Royal, when her team needed her most. Vander Wal also is an underrated passer and defender despite her height.

OH: Averie Hernandez, 6-2 Senior, Illini Elite 18 Cardinal — Hernandez led Illini Elite to a 7-2 mark over the weekend at Triple Crown. The Northwestern recruit hit .407, passed a 2.12 and added nine blocks as a six-rotation standout. “She continues to impress against top competition,” noted coach Kyle Caldwell.

OH: Ceci Buhlman, 5-9 Senior, The Academy 18-Rage — Buhlman led her team in kills in every match over the weekend at the St. Louis President’s Day Tournament. The team went 6-2 to place ninth overall in 18 Open. The SIU Carbondale recruit also played stellar ball in the back row.

OH: Tia Traudt, 6-0 Freshman, VCNebraska 16 Elite — One of the most watched freshmen at Triple Crown, Traudt drew raves for her stellar offensive repertoire, combined with solid blocking and outstanding back row play.

OH: Bella Burlington, 5-11 Freshman, SPVB 15 Elite — Burlington was a side out machine for Sports Performance, which won the SPVB Presidents’ Day Challenge. She tallied 49 kills while hitting .358 and added five blocks. She was at her best in the championship match and was someone the team could count on to side out or end a long rally.

OH: Jayla Miller, 5-7 Sophomore, The Academy 16 Elite Phoenix — Miller was so tough in the clutch at the President’s Day Tournament in St. Louis. In a must-win scenario during a crossover, she recorded nine kills on 18 swings with just one error and passed a 1.9. She carried that success over to the tournament’s final day and helped The Academy post a third-place finish.

OH: Lauren Jansen, 5-10 Junior, SPVB 17 Marshall — An uncommitted six-rotation player, Jansen led 17 Marshall with 76 kills while hitting with great efficiency at the SPVB President’s Day Challenge. She hit .325, had 30 more kills than her highest teammate in addition to being most efficient.

OH: Molly Wellborn, 5-6 Freshman, The Academy 15 Vipers  — “Wellborny was outstanding both offensively and defensively as a six-rotation attacker during the President’s Day tournament in St. Louis.

***

MB: Ayden Ames, 6-4 Sophomore, TAV 16 Black — Long and fiery, Ames turned heads all weekend at Triple Crown with her loud net play. She left Kansas City as one of the most sought-after middles in the country in her class.

MB: Kate Dean, 6-3 Senior, Illini Elite 18 Cardinal — Uncommitted, Dean showed this weekend at Triple Crown that she should be gobbled up quickly by an opportunistic college program. The senior hit .400 while averaging more than two kills per set. Better yet, her contagious enthusiasm is what had college coaches coming back to her court again and again.

***

Libero: Ryan McAleer, 5-6 Sophomore, Dynasty 16 Black — Everyone played exceptionally for Dynasty, which won the 16s division at Triple Crown. McAleer, one of the team’s captains, shined in her role. Playing 20 sets, she passed a 2.17 with 81 digs and 10 aces. “She is the heartbeat of our team, the vocal leader, and the energy!” said head coach Cassie Rockers. “This weekend she definitely had a standout performance, competing against some of the best teams in the nation. She makes some incredible reads on plays and is relentless on defense! There were many times the opposing teams made a great shot/swing and Ryan came out of nowhere with the dig!”

Libero: Mallorie Meyer, 5-7 Sophomore, VCNebraska 16 Elite — Meyer drew tons of attention at Triple Crown for her instinctive defense and covering combined with very stable passing. VCNebraska was able to finish in a tie for 29^th in the 16s tournament.

***

DS: Kenzie Dyrstad, 5-7 Junior, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold — “Kenzie is a consistent presence on the court when she comes in in her defensive specialist role,” noted coach Joe Wessel. “She was a huge factor in serving runs that controlled the game as well as helping lead the team in defense and serve receive.” Dyrstad’s play helped lead Premier 17 Gold to a Top 10 finish at Triple Crown in the 17s division.

DS: Kaleigh Frietch, 5-8 Sophomore, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami — With both outsides sidelined by injury, Frietch played six rotations effectively to spark Tsunami to the championship match. In addition to her no holds barred defensive style, Frietch also took some clutch swings for her team, including an overpass kill that was the match winner in the semifinals.

DS: Hailey Green, 5-3 Freshman, TK 15-Indigo — Green stepped up to play setter at the Nike Savannah Showdown. With just one setting practice in her, she efficiently ran the offense and led TK to a 5-3 record. Green led the team in aces and was a great leader despite playing an unfamiliar position.

***

Every Wednesday during the club season, VolleyballMag.com will recognize a Dream Team of eight girls volleyball players (15s to 18s age groups) who were standouts the weekend before.
The team will consist of the following:
Setter or S/RS
Setter, S/RS or RS
OH
OH
MB
MB
Libero
DS
We include our eight-player Dream Team below, as well as others we considered, based exclusively upon nominations received. (Are you a coach/director who may want to nominate someone next week or in future weeks? Just complete this handy-dandy form: https://volleyballmag.wufoo.com/forms/r7ybeg30hedscp/)

Note to coaches and directors: while there is no science to how we choose members of our Dream Team, performing on bigger stages will give players an edge, as will nomination forms that describe with specificity how well a player performed the previous weekend.

Coaches and club directors can get on our email list by opting in at these links:
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