Far Western brought three days of intense action to the city of Reno. There were plenty of teams and players to sort through and vballrecruiter.com spent time searching and watching for those who impressed the most. Here are the top setters who caught our attention.
Tristen Raymond, S/RS, AZ Rev 15 Premier – Raymond had an argument for being 15 Open MVP with the level she displayed over the weekend! She plays a huge role with her setting and hitting abilities. She’s game-changer on offense across the row, really opening the attack with her whippy arm and decent jump to go after opponents with.
Claire Sun, S/RS, Rage Westside 15 Jen – Another two-way player who is a major contributor, Sun jumps extremely well and though she’s a bit undersized can go against bigger blocks because of it. She also has good hands and spots the ball well.
Tenesyn Frye, ID Crush 15 Bower – At 6-0, Frye has good height for a setter and looks to have plenty of upside as she continues to develop. She has a good touch and knows how to move the ball around.
Julia Waller, Absolute Black 15-1 – Waller is a fluid setter who plays with lots of energy and hustle. She has a knack for keeping defenses guessing with her ability to go against the flow or getting her middles involved.
Peyton Meyer, NE Elite 15 Matrix – A 5-11 three-star recruit, Meyer has good hands with consistent location. She’s also adept at reversing it and catching defenses off guard.
Jolyna Salas, Coast 15-1 – Injuries throughout the season led to Coast going to a 5-1 with Salas. She’s a bit undersized but does well getting her hitters good looks. Plus, she’s scrappy and gets after it on defense.
Ashlyn Tafoya, Rocky 16 National – This freshman setter is a bit undersized but she is integral to the offense. She has nice hands and sets a clean ball. She’s also spot on with her location, including a good connection with her middles.
Logan Tusher, Absolute Black 16-1 – A 5-11 setter, Tusher definitely displays her skillset! Her hands are soft and she hits her spots with great consistency. She’s able to reverse the flow while on the move and can also run tempo sets.
Maya Baker, Vision 16 Gold – Another freshman who is playing up, Baker has a very bright future! She has a soft touch, rarely misses her window and has great command of the offense. She also carries herself with a calm and steady demeanor.
Kate Duffey, S/RS, City Volleyball 16 Gold – At 6-0, Duffey both sets and hits. She’s solid at both, with nice accuracy when dishing and the ability to blow up blocks and be a reliable scoring option across the front row.
Molly Romano, NE Elite 16 Lohaki – A three-star recruit, this 5-10 setter helped get NE Elite in bid contention. She has a good touch and puts the ball in a consistent window for her hitters.
Adrianna Arquette, S/RS, SAS VBC 16 – Arquette also is a two-way contributor. She’s 5-10 with nice hands and a smooth delivery. She’s also a heady attack who can beat defenses with her variety of shots.
Cayley Hanson, S/OH, Hou Skyline 16 Royal – A 6-2 three-star recruit, Hanson does a lot by both setting and hitting. At times she can run a 5-1 but was mostly part of a 6-2 and lining up on the left to hit. She carries a big arm and can hit with pace and power.
Carter Fouche, Skyline 16 Royal – Though a bit undersized at 5-8, Fouche is very active and brings strong energy. She can also run tempo to her help beat the defense.
Katie Salonga, NorCal 16-1 Black – Another setter who is a bit undersized at 5-7, we really loved the passion and spirit Salonga brings to the lineup. She’s upbeat, is undeterred and sets a nice ball.
Elisabeth Levick, OJVA 16-1 Gold – There’s definite upside to this 6-1 setter. She’s going to keep improving and dialing in her craft. She already has good hands and solid location and does well trying to get her hitters involved.
Julia Kakkis, S/RS, Momentous 16 Dan – We’ve mentioned Kakkis before. At 6-1, she is a key part of the lineup with her contributions setting and hitting. She’s another who defenses need to watch out for across the front row. She has a powerful arm and can pound some loud winners.
Presley Powell, Hou Skyline 17 Royal – Powell should excel at the next level playing for Colorado School of Mines. She sets a smooth ball and is very consistent with her location.
Annika Sokol, S/RS, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – This 5-10 setter/right side is a total gamer! She’s a feisty competitor who is a strong, accurate setter. She’s also a smart attacker who can hit from various spots across the front row and knows how to beat bigger blocks.
Morgan Burke, NE Elite 17 Vici – A 6-0 Michigan recruit, Burke can also hit but was running a 5-1. She’s capable at moving the ball around and getting her attackers involved when in system.
Samantha Riter, Absolute Black 17-1 – Riter was making some great plays defensively as well as serving tough with a flat, driving ball that was eating up passers. She also has nice hands and delivers the ball with a soft touch.
Brynn Covell, Academy 17 Diamond – A 6-0 Texas AM recruit, Covell has a strong hands and can run a nice tempo. She has the ability to push the ball to the outside from far off when out of system.
