Cross Court Classic – 15 Open – The All-Tournament Team

<p>Some of the best club volleyball teams in the state of Texas were elsewhere this past weekend, with several of them earning bids to the Nationals at either the Salt Lake City Showdown or the Northeast Qualifier in Philadelphia.</p> <p>The Lone Star State, however, has hosted an important tournament too with the George Brown Convention Center in Houston staging the 2022 Nike Cross Court Classic, a mammoth of an event with 645 teams, 88 courts and 19 divisions.</p> <p>We were there on Saturday and focused our efforts on the 15 Open and 16 Open divisions, paying close attention to the 20 teams that competed across them. We’ve already completed our positional breakdowns, so now we’ll share our selections for our All-Tournament team, starting with the 15 Open division.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Mikayla Gray – Setter - Roots 15 UA Green – HS: Early College – 2025</strong></p> <p>The 5’8”, left-handed Mikayla Gray did a terrific job doubling up as Roots 15 UA Green’s setter and right side hitter and was one of the reasons the team ended up at the top of the division. She showed great skill on the ball and excelled with her ball distribution. Her passing and defensive games are also solid, making of her one of the best all-around prospects in the tournament.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="187266" first="Aubrey" last="Lyssy"] – Right Side - SA Magic 15 Elite – HS: James Madison – 2025</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="187266" first="Aubrey" last="Lyssy"] didn’t shy away from the responsibility of scoring a lot of points for her SA Magic 15 Elite team. The 5’10” right side prospect was very explosive at the net and showed a well-diversified offense, using a lot of different shots over the course of matches. Her topspin jump serve still needs refinements, but will likely be an interesting weapon in the future of her career.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Greta Carlson – Middle Blocker - Roots 15 UA Green – HS: McCallum - 2025</strong></p> <p>One of the most impressive middle blockers in the tournament, Greta Carlson did a great job at the net for Roots 15 UA Green. The 5’10” prospect used her long arms and excellent athleticism to her favor and provided a strong presence at the net. Carlson is very active and significantly contributed to the team’s success with her reliable offense and solid blocking.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Andrea Nunez – Middle Blocker - Laredo Jrs 15-1 Navy – HS: Alexander – 2025</strong></p> <p>When it comes to offensive power in the middle, Andrea Nunez was in a class of her own. The 5’10” Laredo Jrs 15-1 Navy middle blocker had one of the heaviest arms in the division and frequently bounced balls on the other side of the court. Nunez also proved to be a very good blocker and had good runs from the service line.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sierra Sanchez – Outside Hitter - Heat 15 Red – HS: United South – 2025</strong></p> <p>A diminutive 5’6” outside hitter with great leaping skills and a very complete offensive game, Sierra Sanchez was Heat 15 Red’s go-to scoring option in the tournament. She’s very brave at the net and doesn’t shy away from facing big, well-structured blocks to score points. Sanchez can play at the right too and keep the same efficiency level.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="187268" first="Kate" last="Valt"] – Outside Hitter - Houston Stellar 15 Elite – HS: Crosby - 2025</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="187268" first="Kate" last="Valt"] was one of the forces that took a solid Houston Stellar 15 Elite team to a second-place finish in the division. Standing at 5’10”, Valt was a threat at the net at all times with her tremendous reach and powerful offense. She might have had some inconsistent moments, like any other player in the division, but came up big in the most important moments for her team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="186467" first="Joanna" last="Guerrero"] – Libero - SA Magic 15 Elite – HS: Clark – 2025</strong></p> <p>Joanna ‘Joy’ Guerrero’s dynamism on the backcourt tremendously helped SA Magic 15 Elite over the weekend. The 5’3” was a stud for her team and offered a reassuring presence on the defensive side of the game. Guerrero has excellent positioning and is very quick on her reactions, achieving excellent efficiency on defense. She also proved to be a solid passer.</p>