Nike TOC Southeast Preview
(Cornerstone Christian’s Taylor Anderson (5)) Get ready for another exciting, action-packed weekend with the upcoming Nike TOC Southeast tournament Friday and Saturday in Tampa Bay. vballrecruiter.com is going to be at the event providing coverage as teams seek out the championship trophy. There are 96 schools participating across three divisions – National, Premier and Elite. Below, we focus on the 32-team National division. It features last week’s Volleypalooza champion Cornerstone Christian. The Warriors are one of the teams we shine a spotlight on. We also list Players to Watch who are not mentioned in one of the team spotlights. TOP 8 SEEDS (in order) PONTE VEDRA (FL): Facing a strong field, it’ll be a challenge for the Sharks to hold down the top seed because of the depth of competition. Among the players assisting in that effort is senior MB/RS Zeta Washington (Cincinnati), junior middle Chelsea Sutton (Tennessee), senior outside Ava-Grace Redick (College of Charleston beach), senior setter Jessica Shattles (New Hampshire) and sophomore pin hitter Cassidy Miskowiec. SANTA FE (FL): The Raiders receive the No. 2 overall seed and will chase after the tournament title behind a lineup featuring three key seniors. They are setters/outsides Jalyn Stout (Coastal Carolina) and Anisa Dorloiuis, who are the top two kill leaders. The third senior is libero Ro’miya Thomas. Another member opposing teams must be concerned about is junior middle Joselyn Sanjurjo, who enters the tournament third in kills. CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN (TX): The Volleypalooza champs are loaded enough to challenge any team in the country. Senior MB Nayeli Gonzalez (Iowa State) is one of the key pieces on offense, along with sophomore OH Megan Fitch. The Warriors also have right sides Grace Carroll (junior, Baylor) and Macey Hughes (sophomore), as well as setters Taylor Anderson (senior, Purdue) and Kaia Thiele (sophomore) and senior libero Alyssa Manitzas (Notre Dame). WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN (FL): The No. 4 overall seed returns plenty from last season and is looking to make a mark over the weekend. The top three kill leaders from a year ago are back in senior outside Emily Matias (Coastal Carolina), senior outside Alyah Cadavid and senior outside Gaby Arroyo. Also part of the package is senior L/DS Lamaya Fuller and junior setter Alyssa Cadavid. TRINITY CATHOLIC (FL): The Celtics scheduled strong out of the gate, including a head-to-head match against Santa Fe, a showdown Trinity lost. Now, the attention turns to making a run this weekend. Players of note include current kill leader and senior outside Kiana Laborde, senior setter Amelia Fitzpatrick (Flager), senior setter Marisol Perez, junior Avery Campise and junior L/DS McKenna Yates. SPAIN PARK (AL): The Jaguars made the out-of-state trek to test their hands against some of the best Florida has to offer. Senior outside Emily Breazeale (West Florida) currently leads the team in kills followed by freshman OH/MB Megan Ingersoll. Senior L/DS Brooklyn Allison (East Tennessee) has done well defending so far this season, while seniors Lilly Johnson and Haley Thompson have teamed up on setting duties. CALVARY CHRISTIAN (FL): A modest 3-0 start includes a victory over Plant as Calvary prepares for the weekend ahead. Junior setter Taylor Parks (Florida) directs the Warriors offense and is among the top players in the field to watch. Senior outside Deanna Dollar – a California transfer from Village Christian committed to the College of Charleston – comes in as the kill leader and has taken the most swings. Defensively, junior L/DS Ava Bonin is tasked with leading the charge in the back row. BISHOP GORMAN (NV): The Gaels have only played a couple of matches but have been balanced with their attacking, led by junior outside Leilia Toailoa. Also included in that is freshman outside and rising prospect Ayanna Watson, senior middle Katelyn Eberwein and junior middle Ashley Duckworth. Bishop Gorman has relied on freshman Trinity Thompson and junior Taylor Treadwell at setter. *** MORE TEAM SPOTLIGHTS SKUTT CATHOLIC (NE): The Skyhawks are a perennial power in Nebraska and make the trip to test themselves across country. The No. 2 team in Pool 7, Skutt Catholic is paced by captains Hailey Kiscoan (SR MB/OH), Anna Weberg (SR L/DS), Morgan Burke (SR OH, Michigan) and Ivy Leuck (SR S/RS). MCGILL-TOOLEN (AL): The Yellowjackets have eight matches under their belts and haven’t lost to a team in-state yet. They are also one of three teams from Alabama in the field. The go-to hitter is senior outside Anna Grace Sparks, who is hitting over .300 this season. She’s backed by sophomore pin hitter Paris Mcquirter, junior outside Chelsea Daffin, senior middle Riley Carter and junior middle Emma Moore. Junior Mamie Fromdahl leads the team in assists, followed by junior Laura Boykin. Junior Annalise Lee comes in as the team’s dig leader. LAFAYETTE (MO): The Lancers could be under-seeded and stir the pot as the No. 3 team in Pool 1. Senior outside Caitlyn Little is more than a handful for opponents to deal with it. She’s joined by junior outside Allison Risley (Northern Kentucky), senior middle Layne Witherspoon and sophomore outside Maya Witherspoon. WALTON (GA): The Raiders head to their second national tournament of the season and start off as the No. 2 team in Pool 5 behind Trinity Catholic. Walton has played much of the season without senior outside Mary Neal which has hindered its success. The current kill leader is junior outside Sophia Henry. Sophomore Abigail Li is in charge of directing the attack as the setter, while senior Elizabeth Cheney anchors the defense at libero. BUFORD (GA): The Wolves enter at 15-1 overall, with their only setback to Alpharetta, a team Buford has beaten as well. Senior outside Ashley Sturzoiu (Mississippi State) is a menace to opponents and is backed by senior middle Sydney Austin. Senior Polly Cummings is the setter with sophomore Alexa Flowers the libero. The Wolves open as the No. 2 team in Pool 6. ST. HENRY (KY): One of the top teams from Kentucky, the Crusaders won’t back down from anyone and come