Spike Sport #1: Outside Hitters – 18s

<p>The club volleyball season is underway in Texas and during the next several months the Lone Star State will be packed with exciting tournaments, where the region’s most interesting prospects will have opportunities to showcase their games.</p> <p>The Spike Sport #1 was one of the first of those to take place. Played on December 4 in Missouri City, the event featured eight teams from the Houston area in the 17 Division and ten in the 18. The event was dominated by the traditional Houston Skyline club, which advanced two teams for the final of the gold bracket in both divisions.</p> <p>PrepDig.com attended the tournament and we’ll use the next few days to highlight some of the most interesting players we spotted there – some are very popular and well-known names, while others are prospects who perhaps were flying under-the-radar.</p> <p>These outside hitters played key roles for their teams in the 18 Division.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87469" first="Brielle" last="Warren"] – Skyline 18 Royal – HS: Fulshear – 2022</strong></p> <p>One of the prospects in the entire state and ranked fourth in our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, [player_tooltip player_id="87469" first="Brielle" last="Warren"] was up to her usual excellent level at Spike Sport #1. After a strong final high school season with Fulshear, the 6’1” outside hitter brought all her skills to the court and helped Skyline 18 Royal take the title in Missouri City. A Purdue commit, Warren is a very complete player. Even though her powerful and diversified offense is arguably the main eye-catcher in her game, it’s a serious mistake to understate how valuable her great blocking and reliable passing are to any team she plays at.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11835433/61aea13d9a92690af8eb16d9" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99493" first="Brooke" last="Bentke"] – Skyline 17 Royal – HS: Brenham – 2023</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="99493" first="Brooke" last="Bentke"] was one of the reasons why Skyline 17 Royal made it to the final and truly challenged 18 Royal in the event. Ranked ninth in our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings, she has everything one would look for in an elite outside hitter. At 6’2”, she’s long and athletic enough to be a big factor at the net on both sides of the ball with great hitting and blocking. But what makes her truly special is that while she’s as reliable as it gets when it comes to scoring, she’s just as good on the backcourt with a solid defensive and passing game. A Texas State University commit, she’s also a very dangerous server.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13310131/61423fe64ba949052447adb2" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87487" first="Fallon" last="Thompson"] – Skyline 18 Black – HS: Grand Oaks – 2022</strong></p> <p>In her first season with the Houston Skyline club, [player_tooltip player_id="87487" first="Fallon" last="Thompson"] has showed what kind of an impact she can make in 18 Black this season. Ranked 17^th in our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, the 6’1” outside hitter is a force at the net with an offensive game that combines tremendous power and an intelligent shot selection. A high-usage player, she does a great job in keeping her errors at a very low level in a statement of her consistency. She also has one of the most lethal and powerful top spin jump serves in the state of Texas, which she mercilessly uses to score points and put opponents out-of-system. Thompson will join Gonzaga next summer.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6229959/6185c29c6898e50be02ab316" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>D’Nari Mills – Texas Legacy 18 Elite – HS: Cypress Woods - 2022 </strong></p> <p>When it comes to offensive firepower, D’Nari Mills is certainly in the same category of the players mentioned above. She might not be as tall at 5’8”, but her explosiveness and athleticism leave nothing to be desired. Mills can jump extremely high and has tremendous body control, being able to adjust while in the air. Pair that with a cannon of a right arm and it gets easier to understand how she registered impressive 593 kills during the last high school season with Cypress Woods. A Southeastern Oklahoma State commit, she’s also a huge threat with her powerful top spin jump serve.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11357301/61ae4bcf2aa6d602bc8a7c1b" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>