Houston Force #3 – 17s – The Middle Blockers
As it happens every weekend, there were club volleyball tournaments going on all over the great state of Texas this past weekend. With a pair of huge tournaments coming up next week in the Lone Star Classic and the ATX…
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Continue ReadingAs it happens every weekend, there were club volleyball tournaments going on all over the great state of Texas this past weekend.
With a pair of huge tournaments coming up next week in the Lone Star Classic and the ATX Showcase, we decided to take a different route this time and focus on an event that didn’t reunite any of the major clubs of the Houston area in order to spot some potential under-the-radar prospects in smaller club teams.
The Houston Force #3 was played in two locations – the Faith West Academy and the Skyline Academy – in the Katy area and featured two divisions – 17s and 18s. We got to watch each of the 16 teams of the 17s Division on the court on Saturday and found some interesting prospects to highlight.
We’ve been doing it over the course of the week and now it’s time to feature the talented middle blockers.
Houston Force #3 Standouts
Brenna Fleddermann – FR Premier Jrs 17 Gold – HS: Friendswood – 2024
A physical middle blocker with very good all-around skills, Brenna Fleddermann was a key piece in FR Premier Jrs 17 Gold’s winning team in the tournament. The 5’11” middle blocker has an excellent presence at the net and makes a big impact in the game with her efficient offense and strong blocking skills. She was extremely consistent throughout the day.
Makena Thomas – KW Revolution 17 Elite – 2023
Makena Thomas was another middle blocker who took advantage of her physical tools to dominate the net. She did a great job in being alert and ready to react to overpasses and used her length well to make opposing hitters’ lives harder. Thomas is not extremely tall but she has great strength in both her lower and upper bodies and because of that, she wins almost every 50-50 ball at the net.
Julia Ortolani – TX Legacy 17 Black – HS: Montgomery – 2023
Julia Ortolani has some interesting physicality in her game but what sets her apart from the other middle blockers in the division is her great technique. She’s very solid offensively because of her long arms and quick movement and has an aggressive blocking technique that creates issues for opponents. Her game is very complete and she is part of the team’s serve-receiving system in some rotations.
Kaylee Cannatella – TX Hurricane 17 CAT 5 – HS: Clear Lake – 2024
A versatile prospect who can play anywhere at the net, Kaylee Cannatella slotted in nicely in the middle for Texas Hurricane 17 Cat 5. She’s 5’9” but has good physicality that makes up for the size difference against the top players in the position. She moves well at the net and clearly bothers her opponents with her blocking, besides helping with passing in some rotations. She had an important role with her high school team Clear Lake as a sophomore, producing 121 kills, 36 aces, 34 blocks, 121 digs and 119 passes.