Puerto Rico ClasicoAug 30, 2016 by Megan Kaplon
Top Nine Players to Watch at the Puerto Rico Clasico
Top Nine Players to Watch at the Puerto Rico Clasico
The Puerto Rico Clasico will feature six elite NCAA women's volleyball programs battling for wins, glory, and an improved RPI in a top-notch preseason tourn
The Puerto Rico Clasico will feature six elite NCAA women's volleyball programs battling for wins, glory, and an improved RPI in a top-notch preseason tournament. Here is our list of the top nine athletes competing in the Clasico--all of whom you can watch LIVE right here on FloVolleyball, Sept. 1-3, 2016.
Rivers earned Third Team All-American honors in 2014 after returning to the volleyball court following a battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That was also the season she made her transition from middle blocker to opposite. The 5-11 Birmingham, Alabama, native has led the Crimson Tide in kills the last three years, and is one of the most dynamic players in college volleyball.
Babers led the 2015 Texas A&M team that earned the SEC title, and broke the school record for single-season hitting percentage (.412). She's no slouch on defense, either--she ranks sixth in the Texas A&M career records with 381 block assists and eighth in career blocks with 434. The Syracuse, New York, native was named AVCA National Player of the Week last year after leading her team to back-to-back top-25 victories over Kentucky and Florida, hitting .396 and averaging 1.88 blocks/set, 3.12 kills/set and 4.06 points/set.
You can't have an All-American middle blocker without a fantastic setter feeding her the ball. For Texas A&M, that's where 2015 SEC Player of the Year Stephanie Aiple comes in. The junior setter from Round Rock, Texas, ranked 15th in the nation with 11.44 assists/set in 2015 in addition to putting up 60 total blocks and 189 digs.
The starting Minnesota libero since her freshman year, Dalianliz Rosado is the only Puerto Rico native who will be playing in the Clasico. In the Gophers' two matches so far in 2016, the junior has already collected 38 digs; as a sophomore, she lead the team with 539 digs. The native of Morovis, Puerto Rico, played for the Puerto Rican national team in the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and will be the key to making Minnesota's high-powered offense run smoothly.
Senior Lindsey Owens does it all for Virginia Tech. In 2015, she led the team with 400 kills, and already this season, she's notched 53 kills, hitting .376, and is second only to libero Carol Raffety in digs with 38. The Hokies finished in the middle of the ACC standings last year, but the ultra-competitive Owens will be gunning to make the NCAA tournament in her senior season.
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Rapacz finished third on the 2015 Temple squad with 267 kills, but so far in 2016, she has become the go-to for the Owls. She's put away 32 of her 62 total attempts in two matches, hitting .355, and earned the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor. This is Rapacz's first year playing all six rotations, and she's taking the added responsibility well, tallying 14 digs so far in 2016.
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Keil played two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Florida State, where she made an immediate impact as a junior. The native of Berlin, Germany, finished second on the team with 137 blocks and put away 132 kills in 2015. In the Seminoles' only showing so far in the 2016 season, she hit .467 and collected three solo blocks and 10 block assists. Look for Florida State to get Keil rolling early and often when passing allows.
The second half of Alabama's twin pistols, Hutson ranked second on the team and fourth in the SEC in kills with 394 as a sophomore in 2015. Her 39 kills are second only to Rivers' 65, and she helped lift Crimson Tide's 2-1 start to the 2016 season. Hutson uses all 6-feet and 3-inches of her height to her full advantage, and will surely be dropping bombs from the pins versus Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Temple this weekend.
Wilhite knows she has to step up big this year to fill the shoes of graduated First Team All-American outside hitter Daly Santana. So far so good, as the Eden Prairie, Minnesota, native leads the 1-1 Golden Gophers with 31 kills and has added 28 digs, second only to libero Rosado. Wilhite, along with fellow seniors Paige and Hannah Tapp, are motivated to return to the final four this year and this time get past the semifinals.
Krystal Rivers | Alabama | 5-11 | Redshirt Senior | Opposite
Rivers earned Third Team All-American honors in 2014 after returning to the volleyball court following a battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That was also the season she made her transition from middle blocker to opposite. The 5-11 Birmingham, Alabama, native has led the Crimson Tide in kills the last three years, and is one of the most dynamic players in college volleyball.
Jazzmin Babers | Texas A&M | 6-2 | Redshirt Senior | Middle Blocker
Babers led the 2015 Texas A&M team that earned the SEC title, and broke the school record for single-season hitting percentage (.412). She's no slouch on defense, either--she ranks sixth in the Texas A&M career records with 381 block assists and eighth in career blocks with 434. The Syracuse, New York, native was named AVCA National Player of the Week last year after leading her team to back-to-back top-25 victories over Kentucky and Florida, hitting .396 and averaging 1.88 blocks/set, 3.12 kills/set and 4.06 points/set.
Stephanie Aiple | Texas A&M | 6-1 | Junior | Setter
You can't have an All-American middle blocker without a fantastic setter feeding her the ball. For Texas A&M, that's where 2015 SEC Player of the Year Stephanie Aiple comes in. The junior setter from Round Rock, Texas, ranked 15th in the nation with 11.44 assists/set in 2015 in addition to putting up 60 total blocks and 189 digs.
Dalianliz Rosado | Minnesota | 5-9 | Junior | Libero
The starting Minnesota libero since her freshman year, Dalianliz Rosado is the only Puerto Rico native who will be playing in the Clasico. In the Gophers' two matches so far in 2016, the junior has already collected 38 digs; as a sophomore, she lead the team with 539 digs. The native of Morovis, Puerto Rico, played for the Puerto Rican national team in the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and will be the key to making Minnesota's high-powered offense run smoothly.
Lindsey Owens | Virginia Tech | 6-0 | Senior | Outside Hitter
Senior Lindsey Owens does it all for Virginia Tech. In 2015, she led the team with 400 kills, and already this season, she's notched 53 kills, hitting .376, and is second only to libero Carol Raffety in digs with 38. The Hokies finished in the middle of the ACC standings last year, but the ultra-competitive Owens will be gunning to make the NCAA tournament in her senior season.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJtDGuthYI-/?taken-by=vthokievolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
Izzy Rapacz | Temple | 6-2 | Junior | Outside Hitter
Rapacz finished third on the 2015 Temple squad with 267 kills, but so far in 2016, she has become the go-to for the Owls. She's put away 32 of her 62 total attempts in two matches, hitting .355, and earned the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor. This is Rapacz's first year playing all six rotations, and she's taking the added responsibility well, tallying 14 digs so far in 2016.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJs19HsgFeM/?taken-by=temple.vb" hide_caption="0"]
Melanie Keil | Florida State | 6-1 | Senior | Middle Blocker
Keil played two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Florida State, where she made an immediate impact as a junior. The native of Berlin, Germany, finished second on the team with 137 blocks and put away 132 kills in 2015. In the Seminoles' only showing so far in the 2016 season, she hit .467 and collected three solo blocks and 10 block assists. Look for Florida State to get Keil rolling early and often when passing allows.
Kat Hutson | Alabama | 6-3 | Junior | Outside Hitter
The second half of Alabama's twin pistols, Hutson ranked second on the team and fourth in the SEC in kills with 394 as a sophomore in 2015. Her 39 kills are second only to Rivers' 65, and she helped lift Crimson Tide's 2-1 start to the 2016 season. Hutson uses all 6-feet and 3-inches of her height to her full advantage, and will surely be dropping bombs from the pins versus Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Temple this weekend.
Sarah Wilhite | Minnesota | 6-1 | Senior | Outside Hitter
Wilhite knows she has to step up big this year to fill the shoes of graduated First Team All-American outside hitter Daly Santana. So far so good, as the Eden Prairie, Minnesota, native leads the 1-1 Golden Gophers with 31 kills and has added 28 digs, second only to libero Rosado. Wilhite, along with fellow seniors Paige and Hannah Tapp, are motivated to return to the final four this year and this time get past the semifinals.
