GJNC Previews: Katy United 17 Adidas
The most important moment of the season is just around the corner for teams from the 15s, 16s and 17s age group from around the country as the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship will take place at the Las…
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Continue ReadingThe most important moment of the season is just around the corner for teams from the 15s, 16s and 17s age group from around the country as the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from June 26-July 5.
As many as 728 teams are expected to compete in the 15 divisions for these three age groups and the state of Texas will, of course, be well-represented in the tournament with more than 50 teams expected to make the trip to Nevada.
During the next few weeks, we’ll use this space to present the Lone Star state representatives in the tournament, recapping their performances during the club season and highlighting some of their top prospects.
Katy United 17 Adidas
Katy United Volleyball Club is relatively new in the Houston area, having started operating in 2014. The club’s 17 Adidas team has been in great form this season with 40 wins and only 14 losses so far. The group of players led by head coach Michael Kent will enter the 17 Patriot division having yet to win a tournament but has had some strong finishes, most notably a second-place at the Adidas Lone Star Classic and a fourth at the Mizuno Cross Court Classic.
Players to Watch
Izzy Denton Izzy Denton 5'3" | DS/L Katy | 2022 State TX – Libero/Defensive Specialist – HS: Katy – 2022
A lot of Katy United 17 Adidas’ strength as a team comes from its defensive system and Izzy Denton Izzy Denton 5'3" | DS/L Katy | 2022 State TX is one of the main responsible for that. The 5’3” defender is really quick and active and pairs that with her great technique. Besides leading the team’s digging and serve-receiving efforts, she also excels on the little things not everyone notices such as covering her hitters and setting from the back row. It’s not surprising that she posted monster numbers in two high school seasons with Katy at 318 digs and 380 passes or that she ranks 124th on our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings.
Madison Gundry – Outside Hitter – HS: Tompkins – 2022
Madison Gundry does absolutely everything you’d expect from the elite outside hitter she is. Her backcourt game is particularly impressive as she is an excellent passer and an even better defender, two skills that make her teammates better. At 5’10”, she’s also very efficient at the net and it’s not unusual to see her being set in the most important moments of matches, to which she normally responds with a kill. Such a complete skill set has gotten the attention of the Southern Virginia University, where she’ll play at the collegiate level.
Lauren Henneke – Middle Blocker – HS: Katy – 2022
It’s easy to notice Lauren Henneke’s presence for Katy United 15 Adidas. The towering middle blocker does a lot of work for the team at the net with a solid and reliable two-way game. Henneke had a big block that’s difficult to go around and her tremendous reach and heavy arm make it challenging to stop her on offense. She also brings some skills not every player in her position does such as a dangerous serve and good digging ability.
junior olympic tournament// houston, tx// #4- serving, passing, & hitting// katy untied v.s. houston stellar for first place in sliver bracket pic.twitter.com/2V8tsHZgJn
— Lauren (@lauren_henneke)