Visitation Christmas Tournament Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Visitation Christmas Tournament is annually one of the top girls holiday events in the Midwest region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 16-team event features many of the top teams in the St Louis metro area. The tournament begins on Saturday with eight first-round games. The action resumes on Friday, December 26 and will run until Sunday, December 28.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tournament features national power Incarnate Word Academy along with the likes of Principia, Lift for Life, Belleville East, Cardinal Ritter, Troy and Cor Jesu. Incarnate Word will actually begin its tournament participation on December 26 as the Red Knights are in the Bahamas this weekend to compete in the Hoopfest in Paradise event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BRACKET</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1558784,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_7775.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1558784" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><br></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>20 PLAYERS TO WATCH</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1379222,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/11/Moriyah-Douglass.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1379222" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='351820' first='Moriyah' last='Douglass'] (John Burroughs): A 6'4" forward who has signed with Texas Tech.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='317348' first='Nevaeh' last='Lucious'] (Incarnate Word): A 6'4" forward who has signed with Missouri State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='302756' first='Peyton' last='Olufson'] (Incarnate Word): A 5'8" guard who has signed with Saint Louis University.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='554959' first='Evelyn' last='Shane'] (Ursuline): A 6'0" forward who has signed with Saint Louis University.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='351778' first='Savannah' last='Stricker'] (Incarnate Word): A 5'10" guard who has signed with Lindenwood University.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='488377' first='Zha' last='Harris'] (Lift for Life): A 5'6" point guard who has signed with Missouri State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='344797' first='Ava' last='Albanese'] (Incarnate Word): A 6'2" forward who has signed with UC-Santa Barbara.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1415877' first='Lauren' last='Ortwerth'] (Cor Jesu): A 6'0" forward who is currently averaging 17 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='982968' first='Mya' last='Robinson'] (Troy): A 5'7" guard who is averaging nearly 16 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******<br><br>2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1558822,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_8642.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1558822" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='791650' first='Dasia' last='Scott'] (Principia): A 6'2" forward who is averaging 20 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nylah Scales (Cardinal Ritter, pictured): A 5'7" guard who is averaging 20 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='803071' first='Cara' last='Manuel'] (Lift for Life): A 5'7" point guard who is a key player in back to back state championship seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='777615' first='Grace' last='Means'] (Troy): A 5'10" guard who has come back strong from an injury-plagues sophomore season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rian Lenox (Lift for Life): A 5'10" forward who is averaging 11 points and 11 rebounds a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1232172,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/04/IMG_1713.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1232172" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1039493' first='Bridget' last='Fitzgerald'] (Incarnate Word): A 6'2" forward who is one of the top young prospects in the Midwest region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hailey Gray (Belleville East): A 5'8" guard who is one of the top young players in the metro east area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1039457' first='Trinity' last='Jackson'] (Cardinal Ritter): A 5'7" point guard who is averaging 16 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='897772' first='Loganne' last='Love'] (Principia): A 5'5" point guard who is currently averaging 13 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1268050,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/07/IMG_4441.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1268050" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1054097' first='Daylin' last='Douglas'] (John Burroughs): A 5'10 guard who is currently averaging 15 points a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1279115' first='Aniyah' last='Poniewaz'] (Principia): A 5'4" point guard who is averaging nine points and four rebounds a game.<br>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>THE FAVORITE: Top-seeded Incarnate Word have dominated the tournament in recent years. They have had some close calls, but they have managed to keep the championship trophy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1280241,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/08/IMG_3112.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1280241" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>TOP CONTENDERS: No. 2 seed Principia and No. 3 seed Belleville East are newcomers to the Visitation Tournament. Both teams are made up of very talented underclassmen. No. 4 Cardinal Ritter and No. 5 Lift for Life field excellent teams as well. Barring any upsets, one of those two will see Incarnate Word in the semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1444423,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/11/IMG_7226.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1444423" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6 Cor Jesu vs. 11 Eureka - Cor Jesu is coming off back to back appearances in the Final Four of the Class 6 state tournament. Eureka has a solid program that has a track record of pulling off first-round upsets in the Viz Tournament as a double-digit seed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7 Troy vs. 10 Ursuline - These are talented teams that are coming off district championships with excellent players returning. The fact that they are playing in the first round displays the depth of the Viz field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->