September 19, 2022

One thing is for certain. When it comes to a 64-team field of the caliber we see at a tournament like the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas there are going to be top players everywhere doing their thing and leaving their mark. That’s exactly what we witnessed during our two days in the desert. Below, we highlight our tournament Show Stoppers featuring the best of the best we saw in action. We also included more standout players as well who were also really good and noteworthy with their play. SHOW STOPPERS Claire Little SR OH Vista Murrieta CA – The Broncos were the only non-No. 1 team from the Day 1 pools to make the Top 16 and Little had lots to do with her team’s success. She’s a big-time attacker who can score front and back row and always gives her team hope of winning. Nikki Quinn SR S Torrey Pines CA – Quinn – a 3-star recruit committed to Duke – is quick and does well getting to the ball and delivering clean balls to her hitters. Finley Krystkowiak FR OH Torrey Pines CA – One of the stud freshmen in the field, this 5-star recruit flashed her remarkable potential. At 6-3, Krystkowiak is able to go over blocks and bounce balls down on the regular. Katerina Lutz SR L Torrey Pines CA – Lutz – a 3-star recruit committed to UCLA – is a scrappy backrow defender. She’s a consistent passer out of serve receive and her hustle extends rallies for the Falcons. Mia Lee SR RS Mountain View UT – A 4-star recruit committed to BYU, Lee is an incredible athlete with a monster leap. Add in her big arm and she’s a massive offensive force who can take over matches. Mele Corral-Blagojevich SR OH Redondo Union CA – When Redondo is in trouble or needs a point it’s often Corral-Blagojevich who they turn to. The 4-star recruit committed to Oklahoma has a big arm and can also make her mark from the service line with her powerful jump serve. Kennedy Phelan SR S Fayetteville AR – A 5-star recruit headed to Florida State, Phelan was as fun as anyone to watch do her thing. She’s a remarkable setter who can basically make any set from anywhere. Her jump serve is also a weapon as she can go on runs a reel of points in a hurry. Brooke Rockwell SR OH Fayetteville AR – A Stanford beach commit, Rockwell is the arm that makes the Bulldogs’ offense sparkle. She has a whippy arm and can fire one down in impressive fashion or she can go off speed and catch defenses slipping. Meredith Brown SR MB Mercy KY – Brown brings stability to the front row. She’s both a sound blocker and scoring threat who can impact a rally both ways. Lauren Lynch SO L Sierra Canyon CA – There was plenty of defense being played and Lynch was a big-time factor for the Trailblazers. She’s not challenged much in serve receive because of her passing precision. She’s also a terrific defender who keeps her team in rallies. Olivia Babcock SR RS Sierra Canyon CA – Babcock – a 5-star recruit headed to Pitt – delivers as many wow moments as anyone else in the field. When she gets a hold of one, watch out. She blasts it down with authority and causes a buzz throughout the gym. Danica Rach JR OH Sierra Canyon CA – A 3-star recruit committed to Boston College, Rach is a six-rotation mainstay. She’s a solid scorer with a nice arm who helps keep the offense powering along. Maya Evens SO L Cathedral Catholic CA – Evens is a sophomore who plays like a senior. She’s unflappable in the back row and is as steady and consistent as anyone in the field. She rarely misses a play or is off with her passing. Jenna Hanes JR MB Cathedral Catholic CA – A 6-3, 4-star recruit committed to Michigan, Hanes bolsters what the Dons do on both sides of the ball. When in system, Cathedral will look to get her the ball as she can finish off points adeptly. She’s also a strong blocker who can help slow down opposing attackers.   Julia Blyashov SR OH Cathedral Catholic CA – The 5-star Stanford recruit is so difficult to lock up. Her length is a major asset and with her ability to extend and hit so high defenses don’t have much hope of blocking her and must try and dig her shots that come with plenty of pace. Amanda Saeger JR S Cathedral Catholic CA – With the weapons around her, any setter in the gym would envy Saeger – a 4-star recruit committed to DePaul – and what she has to work with. She does well incorporating all her hitters and not just relying on the big arm of Blyashov to do it all. Melie Vaioleti SR L Punahou HI – Vaioleti epitomizes what Punahou is about with its defensive scrap and intensity. It’s hard to put balls down cleanly against Punahou, with Vaioleti picking off shots left and right and forcing opponents to take five and six swings in hopes of winning the rally. Haumea Marumoto JR OH Punahou HI – Marumoto is an unheralded player who does a lot for Punahou. She has a very high IQ that shows in the way she scores in so many different ways. Torrey Stafford SR OH Marymount CA – A 5-star recruit on her way to Pitt, Stafford is must-watch entertainment with the way she gets off the ground and crushes ball. When she has it going she’s nearly unstoppable and is a unrelenting menace for defenses to deal with. Dior Charles SR MB Marymount CA – Few players in the field could impact a match with their blocking prowess like Charles. A 3-star recruit committed to Wake Forest, Charles is also the Sailors’ biggest scoring threat out of the middle as