Spike Sport Classic #11: The Rough Diamonds

<p>The Spike Sport Club in Missouri City hosted one of the final tournaments of the club season this past weekend, the Spike Sport Classic #11.</p> <p>Any tournament for the 15s provides a unique opportunity to watch players in the early stages of their development and it’s always exciting to notice how much potential these young athletes have to develop in their careers.</p> <p>PrepDig.com was there and took note of each of the 14 teams that competed in the tournament and now we’re taking the week to provide our reports and highlight the prospects that stood out.</p> <p>One cool thing about 15s tournaments is that we get to watch players very early on their development process and every once in a while we get to spot a few who still need some work on their games but have all the tools to become great athletes. Here are the ones who fit that category at the Spike Sport #11:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>London Sam – Outside hitter – ASICS Willowbrook 16 Blue – 2024</strong></p> <p>London Sam is one of those who are naturally gifted on offense. She has good size, a heavy arm and is able to score points either from the left or the right sides of the net. She also has a good vision and a great understanding of the game, trying to tool the block when she can’t go around it. Her passing and digging game is a work in progress and when she improves in that area, she’ll be a very interesting prospect.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sara Grace Smith – Middle Blocker – Spike Sport Black – 2024</strong></p> <p>Sara Grace Smith was one of the pillars of Spike Sport Black in the tournament. The middle blocker was one of the team’s best players and helped on both sides of the game. Smith has a big and well-structured block and is very smart on offense, always avoiding opposing blockers and finding the right spots on the court.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Kendall Johnson – Middle Blocker – FB Xpress 15 Black</strong></p> <p>A popular sport saying states that “you can’t teach size” and that’s something Kendall Johnson doesn’t need to learn. A towering presence at the net for FB Xpress 15 Black in the tournament, the middle blocker still needs to improve in regards to her technique and reading of the game, but is already capable of impacting the fame with her size on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.</p>