Liberos to Watch Across Texas

It’s time we show some love to the Liberos of the state. We are going to cover three defensive geniuses that we have not written about yet. They are from all over Texas and from the 2022 and 2021 classes. These young ladies deserve some recognition and are a joy to watch. Most people love to watch the offensive players bang, but true volleyball aficionados like myself and you reading our articles, will break out the popcorn to see some of these kids sprawl all over the court to make sure the ball stays alive. I guarantee the young ladies I am about to write about used to play the game “don’t let the balloon hit the floor” when they were little. Without further ado, here are some defensive dynamos we have not covered yet: [player_tooltip player_id="99522" first="Keira" last="Herron"] [2022] 5-7 Libero (HS: College Station/Club: Woodlands Revolution/Verbal: Uncommitted) Please welcome the 82nd ranked prospect [player_tooltip player_id="99522" first="Keira" last="Herron"] to the Prep Dig State Rankings list for the 2022 class. She plays for a wonderful club program in the north side of Houston, Woodlands Revolution. Miss Herron has excellent balanced footwork, which allows her to pass serve so consistently to her setter. I love how she holds her platform well after contact to ensure a proper angle on the pass. She primarily plays out of the left back position but is physically able to all back row positions. She has such a soft contact with hard driven balls as they come off of her platform with ease. She is extremely active on defense and covers all hitters so well. She is a true master of her craft and understands her role on the team well. You can tell she has been coached very well which is a testament to her ability to be coached, absorb the information and apply it on a consistent basis. We are looking forward to her junior season at College Station this year. [player_tooltip player_id="101855" first="Keegan" last="O’Connor"] [2022] 5-3 Libero (HS: Weatherford/Club: Muscle /Verbal: Uncommitted) We are very thrilled to introduce you to [player_tooltip player_id="101855" first="Keegan" last="O’Connor"] who is ranked as the 80th best high school prospect in the 2022 class in the State of Texas. Miss O’Connor is a very quick and athletic libero who was born to play the position. Don’t let her size fool you. She has the fight of a giant inside of her. Originally from the Chicago area, Keegan moved to Texas and has had to fight to earn her respect in the sport of volleyball. And boy has she earned it. She is beginning to receive high praise from many sports outlets and it is due. I love her work ethic and her desire to excel in her position on the court. She has a phenomenal serve that floats so well and stifles opponents. What sets her apart from other liberos is her touch on the ball. She has an uncanny ability to absorb hard driven contact from any angle and it comes off of her platform very well to the setter. Her emergency technique digs are a sight to see and she will always keep her team in the fight with her on the back row. She has ball control with both her platform and her hands to receive the ball and it is always at target once she contacts. I think coaches should keep an eye on this young lady as she continues to progress. She is able to play at the next level if someone gives her the chance. [player_tooltip player_id="99533" first="Tayte" last="Helton"] [2021] 5-2 Libero (HS: Decatur/Club: Attack/Verbal: Uncommitted) Tayte comes in ranked as the 100th ranked player in the great state of Texas according to our rankings in the 2021 class. She is a wonderful player who has starred for her Varsity team in Decatur since her Freshman year. She has earned accolades every year from her district and it is warranted. Last year during her Junior year, she was named Varsity captain and earned 1stteam all district. She will definitely move up the rankings once I update them in late October/early November. She is a natural libero and is a joy to watch. She has had multiple matches where she picked up well over 30 digs in each of them. Numbers like that show just how active she is and how well she does her job. She is one reason why her Decatur team has started off the season 13-0 so far this season. Her lower body moves so well while playing in left back for her high school team. She is extremely athletic and if any colleges are looking for a solid libero who can help their program next year…look no further as she deserves a look or two. We are excited to watch her during her senior season.     There are many more amazing Liberos that we will continue to cover this year in all classes. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Texas Family!