Who are the best players in the Atlantic Coast region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
Worthy contenders from UVA Hydra:
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2023 All-Region player Aviva Kosto remains unbeatable downfield. She commands big spaces as a prime deep cutter, and small spaces in isolation at the front of the endzone. Any pull play built around her is an auto-score.
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Fourth year captain Emma Vorathiankul has stepped into the shoes of Kira Flores as a commanding handler. She plays lock-down defense on our opponents’ best handlers, forcing 3rd and 4th option throws.
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Sydney Mannion also stepped up in a big way in the handler space. The 2023 All-Region RoTY is an extreme aerial threat, stopping anything that comes her way and immediately transitions to consistently put the disc into her receivers hands. She is extremely reliable on Hydra O, or zone D.
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Dori Gaines is a beast on defense, and a deadly threat when she generates a turn. In zone she does the hard work of protecting the deep space on one end of the field, then sprinting down to the other end for a score. Her track and triple jump background is clear in her many run-through Ds and skies.
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Second year Megan Kennedy is a breakout star. She has improved exponentially after being a true rookie last year. Megan is known for smiling widely while she dusts her defender. On Day 2 of Commonwealth Cup, she scored 31% of Hydra’s points!
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Irene Chen is deserving of All-Freshman consideration. Top recruit from Columbia High School Sparkle Motion, she has absorbed Hydra systems so quickly. She plays as a D-line handler one point, and a reliable cutter on the next.