Houston Force #3 – 17s – The Setters
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 today we’ll feature some of the most impressive setters in the tournament.
Houston Force #3 Standouts
Julia Valverde – Texas Twisters 17 Royal – HS: Seven Lakes – 2023
It’s not common to see a young setter with the combination of size, technique and volleyball IQ that Julia Valverde has. The 5’8” prospect looks like a veteran on the court and does a great job in running Texas Twisters 17 Royal’s offense. One of the things that stand out about Valverde’s game is the fact that she sets to the backcourt hitters fairly often, something not usual at this age group. A good server and blocker, she has limited playing time in the last high school season as part of a loaded Seven Lakes squad but should see the court a lot more and continue developing at an even faster pace over the next couple of years.
Madison Floyd – TX Legacy 17 Black – 2023
Even though her size might hurt her a little bit at the net, Madison Floyd does a great job as TX Legacy 17 Black’s setter. The playmaker is very quick and intelligent in her actions and keeps the game flowing with excellent distribution and impressive consistency in her locations. Floyd is also an asset on the backcourt with a tricky serve and great reading and ball control on defense.
Haylie Peters – Texas Hurricane CAT 5 – HS: Pearland – 2023
Haylie Robinson has an interesting skill set as a player as she’s capable of doing a lot of different things well on the court. In her primary role as a setter, she stands out for her superior ball handling and good distribution. Robinson also has an excellent serve and is very active and efficient on defense. She has good size and plays hitting when at the net – what she does very well, always looking for open spots to place her shots. She also seems to be a very good teammate, always bringing messages of encouragement to her colleagues.