High School Previews: UIL 5A – The Liberos Who Keep The Ball Up

<p>It will be a quick turnaround for young volleyball players in the state of Texas. Shortly after one month from the conclusion of the club season, these prospects will be back on the courts again representing their high schools.</p> <p>It will be exciting to see some well-known names establishing themselves even more in the Lone Star state volleyball scene and some new faces breaking through and quickly emerging to earn the spaces.</p> <p>Between now and the start of the high school season, at the beginning of August, we'll highlight some players we believe are worth your attention when teams get back on the gym. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) 5A Division has some of the absolute best liberos in the entire state and here are some of them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Jenna McMichael – HS: Midlothian – Club: [program_tooltip program_id='431308' first='Texas' last='Advantage'] - 2023</strong></p> <p>Jenna McMichael absolutely masters the libero position at such a young age. The 5'5” prospect has the technical, physical and mental skills to deliver very strong performances to both her high school Midlothian and her club team [program_tooltip program_id='431308' first='Texas' last='Advantage']. Very fast, focused and positively confident, McMichael is a defensive player who's connected with everything that's happening on the court, leading her to have an extremely low number of mistakes. She's coming from a tremendous season with the Lady Panthers in which she tallied 509 digs and 350 passes and made it to the Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) All-State third team.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dchUr35ecgU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141136" first="Tinley" last="Merder"] – HS: McKinney North – Club: Skyline Juniors – 2023</strong></p> <p>Digging balls look easy when watching [player_tooltip player_id="141136" first="Tinley" last="Merder"] playing volleyball. The McKinney North prospect is outstanding when it comes to her defensive technique as she combines great reading of the game and superior ball control. Part of those skills are forged at the courts of the traditional Skyline Juniors club. The hard-working, 5'7” defender was tremendous with the Lady Bulldogs in 2020, ending the season with impressive 605 digs. She ranks 82nd on our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13025312/5f9f5c326898c20a54f2189d" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sara Gabriel – HS: Ball – Club: Friendswood Challenge Elite - 2022</strong></p> <p>Sara Gabriel is an outstanding defensive player form the Galveston region. The 5'2” defender impresses with her quickness and decision-making skills when playing for both her high school team Ball and her club Friendswood Challenge Elite. Gabriel has had a pair of extremely productive high school seasons with the Tornadoes, combining for 1,081 digs and 1,101 passes between 2019 and 2020.</p>