LSRC 18s – Houston Area Previews – AVA TX 18 Adidas
Photo: Prep Dig
In this article:
<p>Most of the top 18s club volleyball teams in the state of Texas will head to the Austin area this weekend to compete in the 2022 Lone Star Regionals 18s Championship, which will be hosted by the Round Rock Sports Center.</p>
<p>The two-day tournament will reunite more than 100 teams across its two divisions and will display some of the top talent available in the Lone Star State.</p>
<p>I’ve been fortunate to watch some of these teams in-person while covering tournaments during the club season in the Houston area and will highlight some of the ones that will compete in the 18 Bid division in the days leading up to the LSRC.</p>
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<p><strong>AVA TX 18 Adidas</strong></p>
<p>AVA TX 18 Adidas is the elite team of the Absolute Volleyball Academy out of Webster in the age group. This team hasn’t competed a lot in the current club season, having won 13 matches and lost another ten, but has been highly successful, with a victory at the FAST Warm Up and a second-place finish at the H-Town Showdown #2.</p>
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<p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong></p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87473" first="Emma" last="Williams"] – Middle Blocker – HS: Brazoswood – 2022</strong></p>
<p>One of the best middle blockers in the state of Texas in the Class of 2022, [player_tooltip player_id="87473" first="Emma" last="Williams"] is a key piece in this team’s playing system. She stands at 6’4” and offers AVA TX 18 Adidas a more than solid presence at the net on both sides of the ball. Williams has excellent footwork, something that helps her have a consistent and dependable offense and that makes of her a stellar blocker. Also a very good server, this North Texas commit ended her high school career with Brazoswood with 845 kills, 441 blocks and 49 aces to her name.</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12218421/62171f394bb2e2122c8a8217" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
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<p><strong>Kenzie Smith – Outside Hitter – HS: Santa Fe – 2022</strong></p>
<p>An explosive outside hitter, Kenzie Smith helps 18 Adidas tremendously with her firepower at the net. A six-footer, she is one of the players the teams go to up in big moments and she normally delivers. Besides her size and power, what makes of Smith such an efficient hitter is her offensive versatility as she’s capable of scoring from the left, right, or even the backcourt. She also has a great all-around game, which was on display during her high school career as she left Santa Fe with 1,343 kills, 617 digs, 748 passes and 153 blocks. Smith has committed to Southeastern Louisiana.</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12218531/621720cc7bd29617e8cc98e4" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99529" first="Sarah" last="Sampson"] – Setter – HS: Grand Oaks - 2022 </strong></p>
<p>A 5’11” setter, [player_tooltip player_id="99529" first="Sarah" last="Sampson"] contributes to 18 Adidas’ tall lineup. She brings a lot more to the team than just her size, though, as Sampson is a very talented ball-handler, who utilizes her efficient hitters in a very smart way too. An Eckerd College commit, she can also hit when at the net and plays very good defense. She produced 1,253 assists, 691 digs, 421 kills and 111 aces in three high school seasons with Grand Oaks.</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12312059/6217254990f970123c8bbc64" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
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<p><strong>Alana Torres – Libero – HS: Dawson – 2022</strong></p>
<p>AVA TX 18 Adidas’ tall lineup wouldn’t be nearly as effective if it wasn’t for Alana Torres getting things done on the backcourt. The 5’5” defender covers a lot of ground when it comes to serve-receiving and her precision opens up a lot of options for the team offensively. Torres also has tremendous ball control and generates a lot of digs because of that. She was in top form during the last high school season, tallying 326 digs, 296 passes and 25 aces for Dawson.</p>
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<p><strong>Emma Norman – Right Side – HS: Clear Lake – 2022</strong></p>
<p>A 6’2” prospect capable of being at either the left or the right sides, Emma Norman adds some scoring punch to this team. It’s really fun to watch her in action on offense as besides bringing the power her size suggests, she’s also very intelligent and creative with her shot selection. She typically plays on the right for 18 Adidas, but can also help with passing and plays very good defense. She’s been a standout for her high school team Clear Lake, leaving the program with 935 kills, 534 digs, 1,086 passes, 145 blocks and 110 aces.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99518" first="Kayla" last="Wilson"] – Outside Hitter – HS: Ridge Point - 2022</strong></p>
<p>[player_tooltip player_id="99518" first="Kayla" last="Wilson"]’s explosiveness and athleticism make of her a great fit with this team. She stands at 5’10” but can jump out of the gym and plays with a lot of intensity. Wilson is a prolific scorer from either side of the net and can also put the ball down when hitting quick sets. Although offense is certainly her calling card, she’s also a decent defensive player. She’s joined Ridge Point in the last season of her high school career and proved to be a great addition, delivering 153 kills, 66 digs and 53 blocks. Wilson’s future will be at the University of Memphis.</p>
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