The Big South Qualifier never seems to disappoint and this year delivered talented athletes everywhere we looked. vballrecruiter.com was on hand throughout the three-day weekend watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the setters who caught our eyes the most.
15 Open
Abigail Li, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob – At 6-0, Li is a four-star recruit with good hands. She sets a clean ball with very consistent location and knows how to spread it around.
Izzy Mogridge, OT 15 Randy – There’s plenty to like about Mogridge – a four-star recruit. She has a high IQ and can run tempo sets. She’s very steady and plays with a confidence about her.
Ava Brovet, Triangle 15 Black – Brovet can be part of a 6-2 at times. She puts the ball in a nice window for her hitters and can run some tempo sets as well.
Sydney Marshall, S/RS, Top Select 15 Elite – Marshall is versatile for Top Select. She can run a 6-2 and hit in the front row or she can run a 5-1. She hasn’t been setting for very long so she has plenty of upside as she continues to develop and grow.
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16 Open
Natalie Depaula, S/RS, Tribe 16 Sebastian – Depaula is a gamer and you can see the competitiveness she plays with. She’s a capable setter with a nice touch and though she’s 5-9 she can really bring it as a hitter.
Amanda Saeger, Wave 16 Brennan – A four-star recruit, Saeger directs the offense well. She’s very good at getting her middles involved. She also sets with a good enough tempo to get her outsides plenty of one-on-one looks.
Emily Bobbitt, Triangle 16 Black – Bobbitt has plenty of options to work with and this 5-11 setter gets them all involved. She’s steady and consistent and doesn’t try to overdo it.
Taylor Parks, OT 16 Jason – A three-star recruit, Parks is smooth with it and rarely misses her mark. She delivers with tempo, setting her hitters up well to be successful.
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17 Open
Nayellis Cabello, S/RS, Top Select 17 Elite – Cabello is just a sophomore with a bright future to her. She’s 6-0 and a three-star recruit with potential to move up the rankings. She’s a fluid and reliable setter with strong hands. She also can get up and hit with authority on the right side.
Chloe Wilmot, Paramount 17-1 – What we saw of Wilmot we liked. She’s capable of running a fast tempo and hitting her spots which gets her hitters good matchups.
Jordan Smart, CHAVC 17 Black – It was a great weekend for CHAVC, which qualified Open for the first time. Smart, a 5-7 Class of 2024 recruit, was efficient in going against the flow and setting behind her on slides to the middle or using the middle as a decoy and getting her right side hitter one-on-one looks.
Shanelle Puetz, Wave 17 Juliana – We’ve seen Puetz plenty and with the way Wave was passing the ball this weekend, it allowed her to have full options to work with. While she has a big outside to work with in Julia Blyashov, she was superb at running the slide and getting her middles great looks.
Cristin Cline, CUVC 17 Premier – CUVC doesn’t have the size like its opponents. Cline – who is committed to Oregon – was doing a good job with her tempo sets and connecting with her hitters before the block was able to fully establish itself.