Lone Star Regional Champ: The Opposites Who Passed the Eye Test
Some of the top Texas club players in the 18’s division competed in Houston this past weekend with FAST Complex and the Houston Skyline facilities hosting the Lone Star Regional Championship for the age-group. Several players impressed among the 55…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSome of the top Texas club players in the 18’s division competed in Houston this past weekend with FAST Complex and the Houston Skyline facilities hosting the Lone Star Regional Championship for the age-group.
Several players impressed among the 55 teams that appeared in the tournament and during this week we’ll take some time to highlight some of them. These opposites were on fire during the weekend, so let’s talk a little bit about them.
Jordan Norwood – Houston Stellar 18 Premier – HS: Friendswood – 2021
Jordan Norwood was the go-to scoring option on a Houston Stellar 18 Premier team that won half of their six matches over the weekend. The 5’11” left-hand opposite has a great combination of power, reach and finesse and is able to score from anywhere on the court. She’s really smooth on offense and finds unbelievable angles when hitting over and over again. Norwood is also a capable defender and is a capable defender, not one that scores a lot of points but one that does a great job in closing out her side of the net. She’ll play at the next level after committing to Flagler College.
Sara Lyne – CC Force 181 Crossfire – HS: London – 2021
Sara ‘Ashley’ Lyne has potential written all over her. Not many 6’3”s can play as setters, let alone this early on their careers, and Lyne can, even though she’s more lethal when deployed as an opposite. Her size is an obvious asset for her but is certainly not the only one as she’s also very technical and smart at the net. Her offense is very diversified too as she can either hit over the top of blockers or work with quick back sets. Even though defense isn’t her top skill, she’s pretty capable in that area as well. Sara loves to receive feedback and can be seen communicating with her coach between points to adjust to the game.
Avery Mercer – Austin Skyline 18 Black – HS: Hutto – 2021
Avery Mercer spent most of her high school career with Hutto playing as a setter but she did an excellent as an opposite for Austin Skyline this past weekend. Mercer is very technical and even though she’s not as tall as most opposites at 5’8”, she gets the job done with smart and consistent play from the right side. Mercer has a great combination between power and technique and is also a great decision-maker. These skills will help over the next few years, when she plays beach volleyball for the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.
Madelyn Wallace – SA Magic 18 Elite – HS: La Vernia – 2021
Madelyn Wallace is originally a middle-blocker but she can play as an opposite too. In either position, she gets her team points, as she did in the last high school season, when she registered 412 kills for La Vernia. At 5’11”, Wallace is long and light, which contributes to her mobility on the court. Her all-around game is well-polished and that took her to have the opportunity of playing beach volleyball for the Texas A&M Kingsville.