Spike Sport #6: The Dominant Middles
Last weekend ranked high up there among the busiest in the current club season with a handful of hugely important tournaments going on around the country, including National Qualifiers in Indiana and Washington. These events drew several top teams from…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend ranked high up there among the busiest in the current club season with a handful of hugely important tournaments going on around the country, including National Qualifiers in Indiana and Washington.
These events drew several top teams from Texas away from the Lone Star State for the weekend, which gave us to watch some teams that normally fly under-the-radar in action in the tournaments that were going on in the Houston area.
Our choice was the Spike Sport #6, which reunited 11 teams from the 17s age group for a single day of competition in Missouri City. We’re highlighting the players that stood out over the course of the week and this time we’ll focus on the middle blockers.
Madison Ingram – H Skyline 17 White – HS: Tomball Memorial – 2023
Madison Ingram was among the most physically imposing blockers in the entire tournament. She stands at 6’1” and has an excellent presence at the net. Ingram is very efficient on offense as she can hit a lot of different sets and times her approach and jump really well, always making contact with the ball at a very high point and hitting it hard. Her blocking is also very effective as she moves well at the net and can put a big block up. Ingram has produced 91 kills and 34 blocks for Tomball Memorial in the last high school season.
Kendall Wilson – Houston Force 17-1 – 2023
It was the second time I’ve watched Kendall Wilson in action this season and she impressed me just as much as in the first. Besides being very tall, she’s extremely technically gifted and can do a lot of different things for her team on the court. Wilson plays middle but can hit from anywhere at the net with the same efficiency and is such a good passer that her team has several tweaks on its rotations to allow her to do it in all six rotations. She’s also a very good server.
@houstonforcevb ‘s Kendall Wilson (14) was one of the most impressive prospects in Saturday’s Houston Force #3. Report on her coming soon and many others already up at @PrepDigTX pic.twitter.com/LIy3uFK0sR
— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) February 2, 2022
Makenzie Briles – AVA TX 17 Power – HS: Texas City – 2023
Makenzie Briles was a key piece for her AVA TX 17 Power team that finished first in the tournament. They wouldn’t have done it without Briles’ solid presence at the net and consistent play. She stands at 5’10” but seems to be taller because of her long arms and moves really well at the net. Briles has considerable power on her offense and is very technical and effective with her blocking.
Kamryn Kester – TX Vision 17 – 2023
Kamryn Kester was another middle who stood out for her ability to do a lot of different things on the court. She’s not the tallest or most physical player at the net but is still a very efficient blocker because of her superior reading of the game and excellent timing at the net. Kester is an equally important asset on the backcourt as besides serving really well, she’s also a very good defender and a reliable passer.
Esosa Eregie – A1 Elite 17 Royal – 2024
Esosa Eregie’s physical tools put her in an excellent position to progress into a dominant middle blocker. She has good size and long arms and also quick feet, which help her move and jump well at the net. Her blocking game is also well-developed as she plays aggressively and places her arms well across the net.
Shelbie Warren – Texas Diamond 17 Black – 2024
Shelbie Warren was a factor at the net for her Texas Diamond 17 Black team in the tournament. She has good size, moves well and has a heavy right arm, a combination that made of her an interesting offensive piece for the team. Warren also impacted the game on the backcourt with her good serving and high-energy defensive game.