Girls Dream Team of the Week: Florez, Markley, Burks, Pierce, Abraham, McGinest, Farrell, Patterson

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VolleyballMag.com DREAM TEAM for March 30:

S/RS: Ella Florez, 5-9 eighth grader, Dynasty 15 Black (KS) — An eighth grader playing up, not only did Florez do a great job of distributing the ball for our offense as a setter, she scored points as an attacker and a blocker on the right and helped Dynasty win the 15 Open title at MEQ. “She routinely came up with some of the point-saving saves we have come to expect from her and made great decisions when the ball was in her hands,” noted coach Brian Tate.

RS: Alexa Markley, 6-2 RS, A5 Mizuno 18-Marc (GA) — On a team filled with offensive superstars, Markley is the silent assassin. She seems to terminate every set sent her way. Last weekend at MEQ, Markley led A5 in hitting at .470 and was the team’s blocking leader with 18. “She wasn’t afraid to take the big swing for a point when needed,” said coach Marc Jones.

OH:

, 6-1 Junior, Aspire 17-Premier (AZ) — Burks is the engine for Aspire, which went 3-1 in the final Arizona Region event this past weekend. The team beat the top 18s teams in the state, except for AZ Storm 18 Thunder, which beat it, 18-16, in the third. Burks, currently committed to Long Beach State, was crazy good over those four matches. She hit .500 on the outside with 35 kills and just five errors against Arizona’s best 18s teams. She also passed an amazing 2.46, had six aces, 15 digs and seven blocks. There’s nothing she did not do well. What a rock star!

OH: Skyler Pierce, 6-2 Sophomore, Dynasty 16 Black (KS) — Pierce is always good and you always notice her but she was extra special this weekend in Indy, where national No. 1 Dynasty went 10-0 to capture its second qualified title in as many weeks. “Sky is always an offensive beast, but she was solid in all six rotations all weekend,” noted coach Cassie Rockers. Pierce led Dynasty in kills with 71 while hitting over .460 as an outside. She passed a 2.0, came up with huge blocks (17 total) and tallied 43 digs. “She was an absolute stud!” Rockers exclaimed “Her ceiling is out of this world and I’m excited to see her continue to grow and flourish!”

MB: Laurece Abraham, 6-2 Junior, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (MI) — A future Yale Bulldog, Abraham hit a mind boggling .621 for the weekend as Legacy qualified in 17 Open at MEQ. She had 10 kills over 14 swings with no errors in the semifinals versus Circle City 17 Purple. “She was absolutely unstoppable all weekend!” exclaimed coach Jen Cottrill.

MB: Rylie McGinest, 6-1 Senior, Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar J (CA) — McGinest was the team’s blocks leader and hit .380 as Long Beach won its second qualifier, this one in Spokane at PNQ over the weekend.

Libero: Emma Farrell, 5-7 Senior, A5 Mizuno 18-Marc (GA) — A team leader and defensive wizard, Farrell dug up 138 balls on the weekend, covered her hitters relentlessly and passed a 2.55 as A5 stormed into Indy and emerged with the Gold Ball in 18 Open.

DS: Taylor Patterson, 5-9 Junior, JJVA 17 Teal (FL) — Patterson helped her team to the Sweet 16 in the 17 USA division at MEQ this past weekend. She averaged more than four digs per set, led the team in aces with 11 and passed a 2.25. “This former setter has stepped up and continues to lead her team as a DS with a smile and competitive attitude,” noted recruiting coordinator CJ Sherman.

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

S: Isabelle Brown, 5-10 Freshman, Circle City 15 Purple (IN) — “Belle” is the glue that holds 15 Purple together, coach Jenna Tadros said. An absolute workhorse, she’s in the gym 5-6 days a week. “She’s an old school player who will take out a wall to save a ball,” Tadros said. “When she steps on the court she always competes and you can see it in her eyes. Not only is she athletic and put our hitters in great positions this weekend, but she also won jousts with players who were 6-2 and above several times. She’s smart and she outworks everyone around her. I would take her every year if I could; she is what you would call a ‘coaches dream.’”

S: Cora Taylor. 5-9 Senior, NKYVC 18 Tsunami (KY) — NKYVC fell just short of an Open bid this past weekend in Indianapolis. The team had some very big matches and Taylor proved her leadership and composure in every tight match. A Butler commit, Taylor shows pure athleticism when playing. “She works hard in every aspect of the game running a quick offense, but also being an offensive threat herself which tends to leave the opponents’ blockers always guessing,” director Jill Hunt said.

***

RS: Quinci Thomas, 6-2 Junior, Circle City 17 Purple (IN) — Thomas had a terrific weekend at MEQ for 17 Open second place finisher Circle City. “She did a good job slowing down opposing outside hitters, but she really added some much needed offense as well,” coach Chris Due said. “When we were in system we were able to get her going offensively and she did a great job scoring. She stepped up in some big situations when we needed a side out and was able to get the kill for us to keep our momentum going.”

***

OH: Ella Wrobel, 6-4 Senior, Sports Performance 18 Elite (IL) — Sports Performance is in the Dominican Republic this week to train with and compete against the U20 DR national team. Wrobel had a stand out match against them this past weekend, hitting .380, with three blocks and one ace while passing a 2.00. Wrobel will play for national champion Wisconsin in the fall.

OH: Kate Martin, 5-11 Sophomore, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar T (CA) — Martin was the kill leader for Long Beach, which captured Gold in 16 Open at PNQ over the weekend.

OH: Logan Bell, 5-10 Freshman, Circle City 15 Purple (IN) — A six-rotation OH1 who passes in all rotations, Bell was instrumental to Circle City’s bid-winning effort in 15 Open at MEQ. “Teams targeted her all weekend in serve-receive before realizing it wasn’t going to work,” said coach Jenna Tadros. “Logan has only been hitting since last year as previously she was a setter, so she didn’t get a ton of reps in the back row before coming to circle city. You would think this kid has been doing it her entire life. She was a constant steady force for us on the outside and went against some of the biggest blocks in 15 Open (HPSTL and HJV) and made it look easy!”

OH: Cheridyn Leverette, 6-1.5 Senior, A5 Mizuno 18 Marc (GA) — Leverette was solid, front row and back, for A5, which dominated a strong 18 Open field at MEQ this past weekend. She hit a solid .350 for the weekend to go along with 82 digs and 11 service aces.

OH Alivia Skidmore, 5-10 Sophomore, NKYVC 16 Tsunami (KY) — Skidmore was a major contributor to the success NKYVC enjoyed this past weekend at MEQ. The team went 7-1 in 16 Open and Skidmore, a high flyer with a fast arm, was hard to stop. “She hit over .320 this weekend and was a go to when we needed to score,” noted director Jill Hunt. “She has a heavy arm that gives her success with her swing but she also has the ability to place the ball where ever she wants.”

OH: Abby Kate “AK” Daugherty, 5-10 Junior, JJVA 17 Teal (FL) — New to the club this year, Daugherty took a step up this weekend for 17 Teal, which made the Sweet 16 in 17 USA at MEQ. AK hit a solid .241 with 57 kills, contributed eight aces, passed a 1.86 and dug up 37 balls. ”She has grown so much over the past few months and this Emory commit will shine in the future matches for her JJVA 17 Teal team!” noted JJVA’s CJ Sherman.

OH: Taylor Preston, 6-1 Senior, NKYVC 18 Tsunami (KY) — NKYVC had a great weekend finishing strong at the MEQ in the 18 Open Gold Pools. Preston, an Oklahoma signee, was very instrumental in the successes of the weekend. “Taylor is always the go to hitter with her heavy arm and aggressiveness,” noted director Jill Hunt. “She is a threat in the front row as well as the back row and had a great weekend on both offense and defense. She makes plays happen during every part of the match.”

OH: Sophia Martinez, 5-6 Sophomore, Central Valley Starlings 16 Brandi (CA) — Martinez stepped up as captain for 16 Brandi, helping them shine at a local tournament. “She was very vocal on the court and made sure her teammates held on to their winning mindset,” said coach Brandi Randle. “We have been talking a lot about mindset and staying positive and she put into action the discussions we had over this past week.”

OH: Natalia Martin, 5-6 Sophomore, Central Valley Starlings 16 Brandi (CA) — Martin played many different positions the past week, from DS to outside hitter to middle for one set and on the right side for another. “Natalia has become very comfortable with the idea of club being used to expand and grow as a player in all positions not just one,” said coach Brandi Randle. “She has worked very hard on all levels of her game this week, from body language to mindset.”

***

MB: Reese Dunkle, 6-2 Freshman, Circle City 15 Purple (IN) — Even as a freshman, Dunkle is one of the best blockers in Indiana. She exceeded expectations this weekend at MEQ, which says a lot because of how good she typically is. “She was a key contributing factor every single match we played,” said coach Jenna Tadros. “Sometimes I wanted her and Ellen Zapp (M2) set a lot because of the teams we faced and sometimes I wanted them to focus on blocking and touching every ball they could. They both worked so hard to make it happen. Reese was quick off her feet in transition and always available. Her slides were extremely effective against Milwaukee Sting 15 Gold Day 3 at MEQs and against HJV 15 Elite she was scoring on players who clearly were a lot bigger than she was. Reese is 6-2 but can hang with the best of them.”

MB: Alanna Jones, 6-1 Sophomore, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar G (CA) — Jones led her team to a tie for ninth in 16 USA at PNQ over the weekend. A lefty playing middle, Jones plays with a lot of fire. Her team had a lot of momentum going into the last day until two starters collided and, unfortunately, produced two concussions. The team still fought hard, and lost a first-round Gold Bracket match in three sets to the eventual champs. Jones led the team in kills and blocks for the weekend.

MB: Sydney Mahon, 6-2 Junior, Aspire 17-Premier (AZ) — Mahon was huge in the final Arizona Region tournament this past weekend. Uncommitted still, she hit a blistering .528 with 22 kills, 10 blocks and six aces against Arizona’s best 18s teams. She played MB/RS and was such a big factor in Aspire’s 3-1 finish.

MB: Mari Singletary, 6-4 Senior, A5 Mizuno 18 Marc (GA) — An imposing middle bound for Texas, Singletary controlled the net for MEQ 18 Open champion A5. “She provided us with power both offensively (.463 hitting percentage) and defensively (17 blocks),” noted coach Marc Jones. “Her ability to transition allowed her teammates to have a lot of 1-on-1 opportunities.”

MB: Julia Hunt, 6-2 Sophomore, NKYVC 16 Tsunami (KY) — 16 Tsunami went 7-1 and finished T-5 in 16 Open at MEQ last weekend. Hunt was a big contributor on both sides of the net, with her heavy arm and her blocking ability. She hit .380 and had big swings in the middle and both pins. She also served very aggressively, scoring points there as well.

MB: Klowe Rogers, 5-8 Senior, Central Valley Starlings 18 Des (CA) — “Klowe was our loudest leader on the court at our last minute local tournament,” said coach Desiree Turner. “She did an awesome job on her blocking and always hustled for all balls no matter where they were. She did anything she needed to do to be that player for her team.”

***

Libero: Hadley Porter, 5-4 Freshman, Dynasty 15 Black (KS) — Porter was key to the Dynasty defense and helped lead Brian Tate’s team to the MEQ title in 15 Open. “Anytime we needed a dig, she made it,” Tate said. “She was a calming presence for us in serve receive and continued to give great pass after great pass to get our offense started. Hadley shined all weekend, helping to slow down some of the top 15 open hitters.”

Libero: Ryan McAleer, 5-6 Sophomore, Dynasty 16 Black (KS) — The fantastic setter and amazing pins garner most of the attention for the No. 1 16s team in the country but McAleer is an absolute gamer in the back row. “The way she leads our defense is a game changer for us,” coach Cassie Rockers said. “She is physical and vocal in the back and will easily cover more than half the court. She runs down balls that are way out of her coverage and makes it look easy. She reads hitters so well that she’s almost always in the right spot to make a great dig.” On top of amazing defense, McAleer passed a 2.4 at MEQ to keep Dynasty’s offense in system on its way to another 10-0 qualifier weekend.

Libero: Ashlyn Riddle, 5-6 Senior, Seal Beach 18 Black (CA) — Riddle’s consistent serve-receive passing and excellent defense were a big part of Seal Beach 18-Black winning its pool with a 3-0 and getting the chance to play in the challenge match to get to the Gold Bracket at the SCVA 18s Regional Bid Qualifier. She had 62 receptions and 52 digs, averaging 4.73 digs per set. She was very consistent from the service line, adding four aces. “She always has a positive attitude and is a great teammate,” said coach Danko Iordanov.

Libero: Natalie Reyes, 5-3 freshman, Central Valley Starlings 16 Brandi (CA) — The Starlings hosted a local tournament on Sunday. Reyes stepped up and played setter. “Not only did she do a great job working hard but she also led the team with a lot of energy,” coach Brandi Randle said. “She cheers for all her teammates no matter what they do. She was a big encourager as well.”

***

DS: Lauren Mullings, 5-7 Junior, Aspire 17 Premier (AZ) — Due to injuries and players missing, Mullings gave up the libero jersey and played as a 6-rotation DS against the top 18s teams in Arizona this past weekend. Aspire went 3-1 in region play, its only loss, 18-16 in the third to AZ Storm 18-Thunder. In the four matches, Mullings, who is uncommitted, passed a 2.45 and had 25 digs. “What a team player!” exclaimed coach Beth Nuneviller.

***

Every Wednesday during the club season, VolleyballMag.com recognizes 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, 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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