Katy United Classic #7 – Defensive Specialists With Great Impact
Last weekend was a big one in the current club season and all eyes (or actually, most of them) were justifiably turned to the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Phoenix, Arizona. There were, however, tournaments happening…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend was a big one in the current club season and all eyes (or actually, most of them) were justifiably turned to the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.
There were, however, tournaments happening elsewhere and one of them was the Katy United Classic #7, held at the club of the same name in the Katy area, which reunited 17 teams from the Houston region in the 16s age groups for a day of competition.
We were there, closely following the action and are reporting on some of the most promising players we saw on the court during the week. In our positional breakdown, we’ll highlight the defensive specialists who played important roles for their teams.
Kinsey Kraner – Texas Legacy 16 Elite – HS: Northland Christian – 2024
Kinsey Kraner did a great job in strengthening Texas Legacy 16 Elite’s backcourt when she was on the court. Very quick and technical, the 5’2” displayed great technique to control hard-driven hits and also provided excellent stability to the team’s serve-receive system with her consistent and efficient game.
Riley Skinner – Katy United 16 Navy – 2024
Riley Skinner’s presence on the court immediately improves Katy United 16 Navy’s overall quality because of her ability to keep the ball up in the air. Also capable of playing as an outside hitter, she has a great reading of the game and is very efficient in anticipating plays. Skinner is also solid with her passing and makes very few mistakes.
Grace Miller – Kingwood Revolution 16 Elite – HS: Kingwood Park – 2024
Grace Miller is a key piece in Kingwood Revolution 16 Elite’s playing system. Very active on the backcourt, she takes great responsibility with serve-receiving and also makes a significant impact on defense. Also a prolific server, the 5’1” Miller is extremely encouraging to her teammates and a positive influence on the team.
Nia Gibson – Katy United 16 Red – HS: Tompkins – 2024
As with any other player in the position, Nia Gibson caused a positive impact on Katy United 16 Red’s backcourt with her passing and digging skills. One interesting thing she also brings, however, is her ability to score points from the service line. A lefty, the 5’4” Gibson is excellent in finding the lines when serving from the middle and caused problems to opponents on more than one occasion during the event.
Kylee Call – Houston Stellar 16 Navy – HS: Atascocita – 2024
Houston Stellar 16 Navy strongly benefits from Kylee Call’s hard work on the backcourt. She typically subs in for one of the team’s outside hitters and does a great job in raising the team’s level on the backcourt. A very efficient passer, Call plays in the center of the team’s defense and gets to a lot of balls.
Sydney Preston – Katy United 16 Molten – HS: Paetow – 2024
Sydney Preston’s main assets on the court are probably her commitment and reading of the game. The 5’4” defender is very disciplined from a tactical standpoint and is always where she’s supposed to be, be it on defense or when covering her hitters. Preston is also really good with her movement, something that allows her to get to the ball with good body balance to make digs.