We spent three days covering 15-17 Open at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Yes, there was 18 Open too but we focused on the younger age groups because of the 18s that took place in So Cal this past weekend. Below, we highlight some of the top liberos we saw throughout the course of our weekend in Utah. The athletes featured are from what we witnessed with our own eyes and who we thought was performing well at the time we saw them playing.
15 OPEN
Ryan Dzierwa, Libero, TVC 15 Black – TVC needs to play with a certain scrappiness in order to compete with some of the higher-ranked clubs and Dzierwa brings that type of play to the position. She plays with good energy and has solid ball control to help anchor the defense.
Brookelyn Hatton, Libero, MAVS 816 15-1 – Another team that is learning how to play against some of the top teams but Hatton had moments at libero to be sure. She’s quick and covers ground well.
Lexi Nguyen, Libero, ARVC 15N1 Adidas – An energetic presence for ARVC, Nguyen can be a bit of a sparkplug for the team. She’s talkative, active and can cover some ground because of her quickness.
Sophie Bridges, Libero, Flyers 15 APX John – Bridges does a nice job passing. She’s also good covering and keeping rallies going when blockers send the ball back over.
Tiana Mariner, Libero, Club V 15 Ren Adam – Mariner brings athleticism to the position. Club V plays with a lot of energy and Mariner fits right in with that style as she helps hold down the defense and does a good job picking up balls.
Elizabeth Bower, Libero, ID Crush 15 Bower – It seems like when teams serve Bower it’s a mistake. She’s a consistent passer out of serve receive and when the ball comes her way Crush is going to be in system more times than not.
16 OPEN
Alysa Walker, Libero, Alamo 16 Premier – Hustle is part of Walker’s game as she is a scrappy defender and solid passer.
Makayla Martinez, Libero, DCVA 16 Hong – We caught DCVA during Day 1 and Martinez was playing well. She gets around the court in a hurry and can make up ground quickly.
Isabella Brand, Libero, AP 16 Adidas – Brand was another libero we saw during Day 1. What stood out is AP was using her to pass half the court or more in a 2-person serve receive.
Ella Vogel, Libero, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – Co Jrs typically churns out some pretty good liberos and Vogel fits that mold. She’s a defensive anchor with good ball skills and will almost always make the play that’s in front of her to make.
Olivia Hasbrook, Libero, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – You can see Hasbrook being vocal on the court and trying to communicate to teammates. She fills her role well and helps keep the defense together.
Malyssa Cawa, Libero, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar – While we didn’t see much of Beach the first two days, Cawa was having a strong Day 3 during gold pools. She was active, strong in serve receive and helping to keep Beach in system.
17 OPEN
Alyssa Manitzas, Libero, Alamo 17 Premier – Alamo can be something to watch offensively in that it can overshadow some of the defense being played. But Manitzas was doing a good job picking up balls coming her way and helping set the defensive tone.
Emily Riley, Libero, Asics Willowbrook 17 Gold – When we were checking out Willowbrook on Day 1, Riley was on her game with solid passing in serve receive and strong ball control picking up balls and extending rallies.
Caity Clancy, Libero, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – Clancy had her moments impacting matches. She seemed to be consistent in serve receive when teams challenged her and did a good job picking up some shots hit down the line at her.
Eleanor Laird, Libero, Excel 17 National Red – Laird appears to be a gamer with her hustle. She moves around the court quickly and can make up some ground because of it.
Isabella Anderson, Libero, AZ Rev 17 Premier – Anderson was playing especially well on Day 3 in a needed victory over Coast. She was passing well out of serve receive and making digs and extending rallies.
Sydney Bold, Libero, Coast 17-1 – There’s a smoothness to the way Bold plays libero. She’s always under control and rarely misses as pass or dig.
