Mizuno Cross Court Classic: The Class of 2022 Standouts
There was a lot of volleyball in Houston this past weekend with the 2021 edition of the Mizuno Cross Court Classic taking place at the George R. Brown Convention Center from Saturday to Sunday. The tournament featured nearly 700 teams…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThere was a lot of volleyball in Houston this past weekend with the 2021 edition of the Mizuno Cross Court Classic taking place at the George R. Brown Convention Center from Saturday to Sunday.
The tournament featured nearly 700 teams and had divisions from the 11s to the 18s in an infrastructure that had volleyball going on in as many as 85 courts inside the building. We focused our coverage in the 15s, 16s and 17s Open division and will present the top performers during the week.
We start with the 17 Open division, which saw CC Force 171 Crossfire dominate with six wins in as many matches. W Revolution 17 Premier won five of their six matches while Houston Stellar 17 Elite and LVL Adidas 17, one of the out-of-state participants, had four victories and one setback across the two days of competition.
Here are the players who stood out in the event:
Cameron Pesek Cameron Pesek 6'2" | RS Shiner St. Paul | 2022 State TX – Right-Sider – CC Force 171 Crossfire – HS: Shiner St. Paul – 2022
Cameron Pesek Cameron Pesek 6'2" | RS Shiner St. Paul | 2022 State TX was arguably the best player in the best team in the division. This 6’2” left-handed right-sider is one of the strongest players of his age-group at the net and unsurprisingly ranks 18th on our PrepDig State Rankings. Pesek is very explosive but what makes her game so special is the fact that she’s got a long and heavy left arm, which is able to send the ball in any direction from anywhere in the court. Pesek, who’s also a very good blocker, has a very interesting offensive variation and is very difficult to stop at the net. She’s also an elite beach volleyball player and will prove herself at the next level after she committed to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Sophie Ocampo – Outside Hitter – Hou Stellar 17 Elite – HS: Kingwood – 2022
Sophie Ocampo is another of those players who are so impressive at the net. Her 6’3” frame certainly provides her with a massive advantage against blockers, but her combination of power and finesse is something special. Ocampo can score from the left and the right and can play middle-blocker as well, proving her team with great flexibility. She’s at her best at the pin, where she can hit to any direction and play faster or slower, depending on the situation. She was named to the 2020 AVCA Phenon Watchlist and while it’s really easy to tell her game has already reached a great level, it also feels that there’s still so much room for improvement for this young talent and that’s very exciting.
Outside Sophie Ocampo sides out for @houstonstellar 17 Elite. Great hustle by setter Kelsi Wingo as well @PrepDigTX pic.twitter.com/TpITGicaVV
— grtorres (@grtorres) March 20, 2021
Rebekah Wilks – Setter – South TX Evolution 171 – HS: San Antonio Christian – 2022
Rebekah Wilks is an athletic and talented setter, who helped South TX Evolution 171 win two of their five matches in the tournament. The 5’9” prospect has great hands and was very smart when deciding which hitter to use on each occasion, but what really stood out in her game was her attitude. Wilks showed a great deal of maturity with her team, proving to be a very positive influence on her teammates. She not only encouraged them between plays but was always communicating in order to fine-tune the small details that most of the time is the difference between winning and losing a volleyball match. With that kind of attitude, she will always be an asset to any team.
Patience Lewis – Libero – Hou Stellar 17 Premier – HS: Dawson – 2022
Patience Lewis was one of the most impressive liberos in the division. She’s got such a high level of energy that it seems she’ll get to any ball thrown across the net. The 5’4” Lewis is great technically and she never stops moving at the backcourt. She’s skilled, focused and has a great reading of the game, which allows her to anticipate plays and dig balls not many others would. She really understands her role as a libero and tries to get involved with the game as much as she can and it’s easy to tell she takes great pride in always been in position to cover her hitters. Another thing to love about her game is her attitude, which seems to tell opponents ‘you’re not going to score on me’.