Class of 2023 All-State Nominees – Liberos – Vol 1
The 2021 High School season has been amazing so far! Along with our readers, we have been on pins and needles watching teams battle all season long. There have been some amazing tournaments and great district battles. We have been…
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Continue ReadingThe 2021 High School season has been amazing so far! Along with our readers, we have been on pins and needles watching teams battle all season long. There have been some amazing tournaments and great district battles. We have been talking to coaches, reading tons of stats, and getting lots of video submissions from parents and players regarding how everyone has fared over the course of the season. As we are funneling into the end of district play and about to head into the playoffs, we will be discussing some players who are being nominated for our inaugural Prep Dig Texas All-State Awards. Our end-of-season awards are going to be different because we are going to consider all divisions/conferences/classes together and pick the best of the best. The liberos we will be discussing have been tearing it up and proving themselves all season long with some amazing statistics. Let’s meet some of the nominees:
Alyssa Manitzas Alyssa Manitzas 5'2" | DS/L Cornerstone | 2023 State #85 Nation TX [2023] 5-1 Libero (HS: Cornerstone Christian/Club: Alamo/Verbal: Notre Dame)
Alyssa is currently ranked as the 4th best player on our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings. She is still listed as the number 1 libero in the state. We have written about her a couple of times and we said the following, “Though only a sophomore, Alyssa plays like a senior. I have watched her personally in a tough match and believe me when I tell you that this one is a gamer. She never gets rattled no matter the opponent or the score. For a younger player to be as cool, calm, and collected as she is during a big match says everything about her future. This young lady is destined for greatness on the court and in life. As far as her skill-set is concerned she excels on both the defensive side of the ball and in serve reception. I love two things about her technique the most. The spacing and control of her platform while playing the ball allow her to create amazing angles to deliver to her setter. The second thing I love is her footwork. She is always balanced while moving without the ball and it helps during contact. Alyssa is extremely skilled and solid. While the oohs and aahs happen for the big swings, every college coach will drool over her play if they see her in person. I will be watching her career on the court very closely. We are excited to see her club team this season. Everything that was written is true and the scary part is she is only getting better with more time and experience. She has the work ethic and great parents/support system to keep her head in training and not let the top libero spot get to her. I know she will only continue to keep working on her craft. Her and her Alamo team are preparing for USA Nationals as they are qualified and want to again solidify themselves as one of the best teams in the country in their age group. She just recently committed to Notre Dame and they are going to get a stud when she joins them in a few years. We have seen her live a couple of times now and each time it gets better and better. This young lady has nerves of steel and every young libero should watch how she prepares for a match and how she plays the game. She deserves every accolade that she gets over the course of her junior career as there will be no question that she has truly earned it. She is plain and simple one of the best liberos I have ever seen in 22 years of being involved in the sport. Please help us congratulate her on achieving her dream of playing college volleyball.” This young lady has been under the Prep Dig microscope over the last year and a half and she keeps rising to the occasion no matter where she plays. We watched her compete in three different settings over the time and she has been the same amazing player at each spot. She has helped her Cornerstone Christian team to a 44-10 overall record and has tallied 585 digs, which is the 12th most in the state of Texas amongst juniors. She also has 607 service receptions and 41 aces on the year. It is safe to say she has played her way into consideration for an All-State award this year. Please congratulate her on the achievement.
McKenna Gildon McKenna Gildon 5'10" | DS/L Liberty | 2023 State #173 Nation TX [2023] 5-10 Libero (HS: Liberty/Club: Texas Advantage Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
McKenna is currently listed as the 19th best overall prospect and the 2nd best libero in the state. Hannah plays for Liberty High School and also for Texas Advantage Volleyball out of the North Texas region. We have profiled her earlier this year when we introduced her to our readers as a State Ranked stud. Here is a little from the article, “She is a stellar libero who has a great strong frame and tons of body control in order to keep the ball in-system for her teams. She has been on a tear so far in this young high school season as she leads the team in digs and service receptions. As a captain on her team, she is definitely leading by example with her superb play. I was lucky enough to watch her in person at GJNC in Vegas this summer and she showed me the type of consistent play that a top five libero should execute with for her team to be successful. She was key in helping lead her team to the Open Division National Championship in the 16’s age group. We want to welcome her with open arms to our State Ranking List and can’t wait to watch her progress in the future.” She has truly come into her own this past season and continued the dominance at her position that she showed on her club team. At Liberty as a junior, she has tallied the 17th most digs in the state amongst all juniors with 552 digs. She also has 596 service receptions, 35 aces, and even has 86 kills on the year. We are proud to have her as a candidate for one of our All-State awards. Please help us congratulate her on the honor.
Lola Fernandez [2023] 5-7 Libero (HS: RR Westwood/Club: Austin Juniors/ Verbal: Uncommitted)
Lola is currently an unranked prospect in the state in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, but we have had our eye on her and she should be listed soon once we update the rankings. She plays at Round Rock Westwood High School and Austin Juniors. She has a phenomenal base that she plays the position with and has such a soft touch on both digs and serve receive passes. Austin Juniros does a phenomenal job with their players and she is just one more example of that pedigree. Lola has been stellar this high school season as she has tallied 756 digs, 744 service receptions, and 80 aces. Her dig count on the year is good enough for 2nd most in the entire state amongst juniors. We are extremely proud of her and how she has proven herself on the court amongst her peers. Please help us congratulate her on the achievement of being in the running for an All-State award.
There are many more amazing players that will be nominated. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes to see who ends up with a chance at one of the prestigious awards. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Texas Family!