16 Players To Watch At The 2017 Durango Fall Classic
16 Players To Watch At The 2017 Durango Fall Classic
The 2017 Durango Fall Classic will host 12 teams ranked in the Flo50. On the rosters of those teams, and many others competing, are outstanding individuals who you're guaranteed to see making an impact this spring for the nation's top club teams and on el
The Durango Fall Classic has brought together the top high school volleyball teams in the country since 1995. This year, in its 23rd iteration, the DFC will host 12 teams ranked in the Flo50. On the rosters of those teams -- and many others competing -- are outstanding individuals who you're guaranteed to see making an impact this spring for the nation's top club teams and on elite college rosters in the future.
FloVolleyball will be streaming the action from the four courts at Durango High School, September 15-16.
Here are some of the top players to watch this weekend.
A member of the U.S. girls youth national team, Brooklyn Schirmer transferred to Redondo Union from Lakewood prior to the 2016 season; however, she was required to sit out last year due to transfer regulations. A minor shoulder injury kept her out of commission for the first few matches of the season, but if she's healthy for Durango, Redondo has a chance to challenge for the title.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXWzkD8lXzh/?taken-by=brooklynschirmer" hide_caption="0"]
Elena Oglivie led her Iolani team to a Division I state championships as a freshman, collecting 392 kills with a .390 hitting percentage and earning the 2016-17 Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year honor. As a sophomore, she's already leading her team in its quest for a repeat, tallying 220 kills and 181 digs in 23 matches.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/Hudl/status/821344079829049344" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Sophomore Mia Tuaniga runs a 6-2 with Brielle Mullally, but she's also an offensive threat, ranking fifth on the Mater Dei squad in kills after the first 11 matches of the season. The sister of Long Beach State super setter Josh Tuaniga, Mia leads Mater Dei with 16 aces and is second on the team with 12 total blocks.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/robonthemic/status/798432979102158848" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Six-foot-three outside hitter Natalie Berty leads Mater Dei with 91 kills so far this season and has maintained a .359 hitting percentage. The Monarchs' go-to hitter played on Tstreet's top 16s team during the club season, helping that squad to finish second in two national qualifiers.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYmepI1g0wH/?taken-by=materdeigvb" hide_caption="0"]
Still just a sophomore, Anna DeBeer is the top offensive producer on one of the top high school teams in the country. The Louisville commit's 143 kills (.351) lead the 15-1 Assumption Rockets, and she ranks second with 73 digs.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/annadebeer14/status/888402161490636802" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
The second half of Assumption's sophomore one-two punch, Rylee Rader has blasted 99 kills out of the middle so far this year and boasts an unreal .562 hitting percentage. Rader, who committed to Ohio State in April, also leads the team with 19 total blocks.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/ryleerader/status/857723691492311040" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Ella May Powell has been one of the top high school setters in the country since her sophomore season. The two-time Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year and Washington commit sets a 5-1 for Fayetteville and ranks third on the team with 52 kills, hitting .303. She has plenty of USA experience under her belt, too, as part of the girls youth national team that won silver at the 2016 NORCECA Girls' Youth Continental Championship in Puerto Rico and a member of this summers GYNT training group.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/DFC_vb/status/906272311665319936" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
The definition of a go-to hitter, Florida recruit Haley Warner leads Fayetteville with 163 kills hitting .325. She earned the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year honor as a freshman, and hasn't slowed down since. As a member of the Girls' Youth National Team, Warner scored 50 points in the final three matches of the 2016 NORCECA Girls' Youth Continental Championship.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3-4YqjVss/?hl=en&taken-by=haleywarner32" hide_caption="0"]
Fondly nicknamed Okie, 6-3 setter/opposite Grace Frohling came to Marymount High School from Edmond, Oklahoma, after her freshman year of high school. As a sophomore, the San Diego commit ranked second on the Marymount squad with 256 kills, led the team with 55 aces, and has 620 assists as one of the setters in Marymount's 6-2 offense.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/gracefrohling/status/864281932133040128" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Kristen Clemons was a starting middle blocker on the 2016 state championship Sacred Heart team. Also a star basketball player, Clemons currently ranks third on the team with 56 kills hitting .355 and is the team's top blocker with 27 total stops. Her KIVA 14 Red club team finished third in 14 Open at AAU National Championships in June.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/SHA__volleyball/status/888074840556666880" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Georgia commit Lanie Wagner led Xavier College Prep in kills and earned second team All-Arizona as a junior, and she remains the go-to player in her senior season. She's been a big part of Xavier's 4-0 start this fall with 41 kills.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/XCPGators1/status/902933616199532545" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
As a sophomore, Shannon Shields led Xavier to a 34-7 record and a state semifinal appearance. A lefty with a fierce serve, Shields led the team with 68 aces last fall and added 128 kills to her 1,077 assists. Shields committed to Louisville during the club season.
Jaden Whitmarsh is committed to UCLA for beach volleyball, but she makes a big impact on the parque for Torrey Pines. She's the team's leading attacker with 72 kills in the first four matches of the 2017 season, hitting .333. This summer, Whitmarsh played in her first AVP qualifier and won her first-round match.
USA Today Sports
In just a few months, Heather Gneiting will graduate high school early and head to BYU to begin her college career, but first she and her Pleasant Grove team will try to get back to the Utah state championship match. Last season, Gneiting played outside hitter and ranked second on the team with 213 kills. This year, she's back in the middle and has already racked up 49 kills hitting .435.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TribPrepsEd/status/906711800728530945" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Karson Bacon moved to the outside this season, and her younger sister Kameron has taken over the starting middle spot. Karson, an Oregon commit, has led Rancho Cucamonga to a 3-0 start this fall with 67 kills and six blocks.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MGardnerSports/status/902605670150578177" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
A 5-11 freshman who touches 10-3, Kami Miner recently moved to Redondo Beach from Las Vegas. The setter/opposite, whose father is two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Harold Miner, is competing with senior Kira Zimmerman and juniors Madi Turner and Emily Mitter for playing time, but she's already garnering interest from top Division I programs.
Watch Episode One here.
Watch Episode One here.
FloVolleyball will be streaming the action from the four courts at Durango High School, September 15-16.
Here are some of the top players to watch this weekend.
Brooklyn Schirmer | Senior | Outside Hitter | Redondo Union
A member of the U.S. girls youth national team, Brooklyn Schirmer transferred to Redondo Union from Lakewood prior to the 2016 season; however, she was required to sit out last year due to transfer regulations. A minor shoulder injury kept her out of commission for the first few matches of the season, but if she's healthy for Durango, Redondo has a chance to challenge for the title.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXWzkD8lXzh/?taken-by=brooklynschirmer" hide_caption="0"]
Elena Oglivie | Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Iolani
Elena Oglivie led her Iolani team to a Division I state championships as a freshman, collecting 392 kills with a .390 hitting percentage and earning the 2016-17 Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year honor. As a sophomore, she's already leading her team in its quest for a repeat, tallying 220 kills and 181 digs in 23 matches.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/Hudl/status/821344079829049344" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Mia Tuaniga | Sophomore | Setter/Opposite | Mater Dei
Sophomore Mia Tuaniga runs a 6-2 with Brielle Mullally, but she's also an offensive threat, ranking fifth on the Mater Dei squad in kills after the first 11 matches of the season. The sister of Long Beach State super setter Josh Tuaniga, Mia leads Mater Dei with 16 aces and is second on the team with 12 total blocks.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/robonthemic/status/798432979102158848" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Natalie Berty | Junior | Outside Hitter | Mater Dei
Six-foot-three outside hitter Natalie Berty leads Mater Dei with 91 kills so far this season and has maintained a .359 hitting percentage. The Monarchs' go-to hitter played on Tstreet's top 16s team during the club season, helping that squad to finish second in two national qualifiers.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYmepI1g0wH/?taken-by=materdeigvb" hide_caption="0"]
Anna DeBeer | Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Assumption
Still just a sophomore, Anna DeBeer is the top offensive producer on one of the top high school teams in the country. The Louisville commit's 143 kills (.351) lead the 15-1 Assumption Rockets, and she ranks second with 73 digs.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/annadebeer14/status/888402161490636802" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Rylee Rader | Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Assumption
The second half of Assumption's sophomore one-two punch, Rylee Rader has blasted 99 kills out of the middle so far this year and boasts an unreal .562 hitting percentage. Rader, who committed to Ohio State in April, also leads the team with 19 total blocks.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/ryleerader/status/857723691492311040" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Ella May Powell | Senior | Setter | Fayetteville
Ella May Powell has been one of the top high school setters in the country since her sophomore season. The two-time Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year and Washington commit sets a 5-1 for Fayetteville and ranks third on the team with 52 kills, hitting .303. She has plenty of USA experience under her belt, too, as part of the girls youth national team that won silver at the 2016 NORCECA Girls' Youth Continental Championship in Puerto Rico and a member of this summers GYNT training group.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/DFC_vb/status/906272311665319936" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Haley Warner | Senior | Opposite | Fayetteville
The definition of a go-to hitter, Florida recruit Haley Warner leads Fayetteville with 163 kills hitting .325. She earned the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year honor as a freshman, and hasn't slowed down since. As a member of the Girls' Youth National Team, Warner scored 50 points in the final three matches of the 2016 NORCECA Girls' Youth Continental Championship.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3-4YqjVss/?hl=en&taken-by=haleywarner32" hide_caption="0"]
Grace Frohling | Junior | Setter/Opposite | Marymount
Fondly nicknamed Okie, 6-3 setter/opposite Grace Frohling came to Marymount High School from Edmond, Oklahoma, after her freshman year of high school. As a sophomore, the San Diego commit ranked second on the Marymount squad with 256 kills, led the team with 55 aces, and has 620 assists as one of the setters in Marymount's 6-2 offense.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/gracefrohling/status/864281932133040128" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Kristen Clemons | Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Sacred Heart
Kristen Clemons was a starting middle blocker on the 2016 state championship Sacred Heart team. Also a star basketball player, Clemons currently ranks third on the team with 56 kills hitting .355 and is the team's top blocker with 27 total stops. Her KIVA 14 Red club team finished third in 14 Open at AAU National Championships in June.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/SHA__volleyball/status/888074840556666880" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Lanie Wagner | Senior | Outside Hitter | Xavier College Prep
Georgia commit Lanie Wagner led Xavier College Prep in kills and earned second team All-Arizona as a junior, and she remains the go-to player in her senior season. She's been a big part of Xavier's 4-0 start this fall with 41 kills.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/XCPGators1/status/902933616199532545" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Shannon Shields | Junior | Setter | Xavier College Prep
As a sophomore, Shannon Shields led Xavier to a 34-7 record and a state semifinal appearance. A lefty with a fierce serve, Shields led the team with 68 aces last fall and added 128 kills to her 1,077 assists. Shields committed to Louisville during the club season.
Jaden Whitmarsh | Senior | Torrey Pines | Outside Hitter
Jaden Whitmarsh is committed to UCLA for beach volleyball, but she makes a big impact on the parque for Torrey Pines. She's the team's leading attacker with 72 kills in the first four matches of the 2017 season, hitting .333. This summer, Whitmarsh played in her first AVP qualifier and won her first-round match.
USA Today Sports
Heather Gneiting | Senior | Middle Blocker | Pleasant Grove
In just a few months, Heather Gneiting will graduate high school early and head to BYU to begin her college career, but first she and her Pleasant Grove team will try to get back to the Utah state championship match. Last season, Gneiting played outside hitter and ranked second on the team with 213 kills. This year, she's back in the middle and has already racked up 49 kills hitting .435.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TribPrepsEd/status/906711800728530945" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Karson Bacon | Senior | Outside Hitter | Rancho Cucamonga
Karson Bacon moved to the outside this season, and her younger sister Kameron has taken over the starting middle spot. Karson, an Oregon commit, has led Rancho Cucamonga to a 3-0 start this fall with 67 kills and six blocks.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MGardnerSports/status/902605670150578177" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Kami Miner | Freshman | Setter/Opposite | Redondo Union
A 5-11 freshman who touches 10-3, Kami Miner recently moved to Redondo Beach from Las Vegas. The setter/opposite, whose father is two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Harold Miner, is competing with senior Kira Zimmerman and juniors Madi Turner and Emily Mitter for playing time, but she's already garnering interest from top Division I programs.
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