Spike Sport #1: Right Siders – 18s

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. 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. 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. Here are the right siders who did a great job in the 18 Division.   [player_tooltip player_id="99508" first="Avery" last="Shimaitis"] – Skyline 18 Royal – HS: George Ranch – 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="99508" first="Avery" last="Shimaitis"] was one of the top scorers in the entire state of Texas during the last high school season playing as an outside hitter for a solid George Ranch team. Moving to the right with Skyline 18 Royal seems to have made her offense even better and it unlocked some new shots and even allowed her to hit in the middle occasionally. Most importantly, her efficient rate remained high and her mistakes very low, which is what anyone would want from a player with such a high usage as she is. The 5’11” Shimaitis ranks 50th in our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings and is headed to Pepperdine next summer. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11635179/61aea13d066b9f0ba8cbfa8d" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   [player_tooltip player_id="87522" first="Lindsey" last="Kriendler"] – Skyline 18 Black – HS: Cypress Creek – 2022 A versatile player who can score from anywhere at the net, [player_tooltip player_id="87522" first="Lindsey" last="Kriendler"] was used as an opposite for Skyline 18 Black last weekend but her production far surpassed the one of her position. Standing at 6’2”, she was a viable scoring option for the team during the entire tournament and was able to put the ball on the opposition’s court in a variety of ways – at the net or the backrow, hitting a faster or higher set. Kriendler was also part of the team’s passing system, contributing to Skyline 18 Black’s side out even when she wasn’t set. Ranked 60th in our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, she has committed to the University of New Hampshire. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11613800/61813f528cdddd09a8a77d14" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   Aaliyah Callaway – Renegades 18 Black – HS: MacArthur – 2022 Aaliyah Callaway is a good definition of what a utility player at the net is. Standing at 5’9”, but with tons of athleticism on her frame, she plays in all three positions at the net for Renegades 18 Black and brings some physicality to the game. A lefty, she is more efficient when hitting from the right, where she can send the ball in any direction. Her game still needs to be better polished in some areas but her physical tools really raise her potential. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13022311/60e4d3cf17629a1b2cb8f597" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   Sofia Giugnetti – Asics Willowbrook 18 Red – 2022 Sofia Giugnetti brings different things to the table when compared to the other three players on this list. Her game is based upon solid technical skills and the ability to contribute in a lot of different ways. A 5’9” prospect, she’s extremely efficient on defense and adds a lot to the team’s volume. Giugnetti is very clean on her game and is skilled enough to set for the team when she’s at the backcourt.