Lone Star Regional Champ: The Outsides Who Delivered
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…
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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. Today’s topic is the outside hitters, who are key pieces to their teams due to their two-way work.
Jamiryana Hall – Alamo 18 Premier – HS: Taft – 2021
Few players were more impressive at the net during the weekend than Jamiryana Hall. The 5’9” Alamo 18 Premier outside hitter showed a very strong game, built upon her unparalleled athleticism and leaping ability. Hall gets so high at the net that it looks easy for her to bounce balls left and right and hit over opponents’ blocks. She’s so fast and so physically gifted that she can play anywhere at the net and score at a high level. She was the team’s go-to scoring option during the event, a role she fulfilled in three of her four high school volleyball seasons with Taft and one that she most likely will play for the University of Central Arkansas as her career continues at the collegiate level.
Madison Collins – SA Force 181 Darkside – HS: Reagan – 2021
Madison Collins’ all-around game worked really well for SA Force 181 Darkside during the tournament as the 5’8” outside hitter seemed to be in the center of everything her team did on the court. A very skilled defensive player who can also be used a defensive specialist, Collins kept her team’s backcourt game going with accurate passes and important digs, but also delivered when called upon to score points at the net with an intriguing combination of power and finesse. A Reagan High School product, she was easily the team’s most influential player as it seemed that she was involved in every action either on the defensive of the offensive phase of it.
Riley Mercer – Ignite 181 – HS: Alamo Heights – 2021
Riley Mercer was another do-it-all kind of outside hitter who passed the eye test this weekend. The 5’8” prospect was instrumental to her team and offered significant contributions on the defensive side of the game with a number of impressive digs. Her offensive game wasn’t as eye-popping but wasn’t less effective either as Mercer always seemed to make the right calls and to find the right spots to send the ball even when in transition or hitting a set off-the-net.
Sydney Seldon – Austin Skyline 18 Black – HS: Harker Heights – 2021
Sydney Seldon is another outside hitter who impressed with her power at the net. The 5’8” Austin Skyline 18 Black prospect is very explosive on her approach and has a heavy arm that makes it very difficult to control the ball on defense. A very physical player, Seldon doesn’t shy away from the big plays and the most important moments of the match and is really versatile and efficient on offense, being able to hit in every direction and rarely making mistakes. She’s got some room to improve on her defensive game, but is already a hustler on the backcourt, which is at the very least a great start.
Kandice Rowe – CC Force 181 Crossfire – HS: Gregory-Portland – 2021
If Kandice Rowe’s game was to be described with a single word, it would most likely be intense. It’s very easy to tell the 5’8” outside hitter leaves her heart on the court every match and the level of energy and the sense of urgency she brings to each of them typically contaminates her teammates. Rowe has a great all-around game and is very confident on her game. She doesn’t get intimidated in deciding moments of matches and had a good balance between power and technique. Her solid game and a stellar high school career in which she registered over 1,000 kills, digs and passes for Gregory-Portland have earned her a spot at the West Texas A&M University.