Lone Star Classic Qualifier – Recap – UPVBC 16 Open

<p>The Lone Star Classic National Qualifier tournament held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas took place this past Easter weekend.  There were over a thousand talented teams from across the country competing in this awesome tournament and hundreds of college coaches were in attendance.  This is widely regarded as the tournament with the toughest competition in the nation.  It was a weekend full of cutthroat volleyball and I was super excited to have covered it for Oklahoma.  This series of articles will be focused on Sooner teams that played, how they fared and some of the fantastic players who stood out to me.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p>UPVBC 16 Open came into the tourney ranked 11^thoverall and ended up holding seed as the tourney finished.  They dominated their first two pools as they were red hot winning six straight matches to open up the tourney.  All but one match were blowout wins.  They lost their Challenge bracket match to Frisco Flyers in three (18-25, 25-18, 15-13).  That match could have easily went the other way and they would have been in the Gold bracket.  They split their next two matches in the Silver bracket to finish 11^thoverall.  There were a few players that stood out while I was watching.  Let’s meet a few of them.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156866" first="Maren" last="Johnson"] [2024] Outside (HS: Jenks/Club: UPVBC/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <p><strong> <img class="alignleft wp-image-191803" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/04/Maren-Johnson-e1650669027376-174x300.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="279" /></strong></p> <p>Maren is now ranked as the 7^thbest overall prospect in the entire state of Oklahoma in the class of 2024.  Miss Johnson is a stellar outside who plays at Jenks High School.  I have seen her play multiple times now in two big tournaments and she has not disappointed. I have moved her up in the rankings during the last update and she is still impressing.  Her offense is something that everyone will notice because she is superb, but what stands out to me is both her overall ball control and her teamwork.  While most studs on a team are egotistical and self-centered, Miss Johnson shows a lot of love for her teammates and the game itself.  It looks like she loves the sport and has tons of fun while competing at a high level.  But now let’s discuss her offensive gifts.  I cannot write an article on her without showcasing what everyone wants to know. She has some natural bounce to her game that allows her to play well above the net.  It is showcased when they bring her around to the middle out of serve receive for a second tempo attack.  She can move her hand around to whichever third part of the ball she needs to in order to find open locations to hit to.  She is worth the price of admission when you watch her play the game. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156846" first="Kate" last="Schneeberg"] [2024] 6-1 Setter (HS: Bishop Kelley/Club: Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <p><strong> <img class=" wp-image-191804 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/04/Kate-Schneeberg-e1650669159219-202x300.jpg" alt="" width="170" height="252" /></strong></p> <p>Kate is currently ranked as the 11^thbest overall prospect in the 2024 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings.  She is a solid setter for Broken Arrow High School and Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club. Kate is one of the best setters in the entire state and this past weekend at Lone Star National Qualifier proved her case even further. I watched as she moved on the court so well and was able to track down every ball so well.  Her footwork and ball control are superb in the setting position.  The ball comes out of her hands so smoothly as she pushes it out to every location. Kate had the entire offense performing at an all-time high level.  We are enjoying covering her and think she has exactly what it takes to play volleyball at the next level.  We will be talking to many colleges about her skill-set. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156851" first="Avery" last="Jones"] [2024] 5-6 Libero (HS: Broken Arrow/Club: Ultimate Performance Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <p><strong> <img class="alignleft wp-image-191805" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/04/Avery-Jones-e1650669256959-227x300.jpg" alt="" width="188" height="248" /></strong></p> <p>Avery is currently ranked as the 8^thoverall prospect and also the 2^ndbest libero prospect in the 2024 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings.  She is a solid defensive stopper for Broken Arrow High School.  I was able to watch a match on day three in which they were playing against some very high level hitters. Avery was on fire as she kept her team in each rally.  I loved how she was taking command on serve receive and delivered settable balls to keep her team in-system for a majority of the match I watched.  She is an exceptional libero who can pass and dig in multiple spots in the back row.  She covers her hitters very well and has a high volleyball IQ in the libero position. We will keep our eye on her as she continues to progress.  Stay tuned for more on Miss Jones.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="177225" first="Carley" last="Butler"] [2024] 6-1 Middle (HS: Owasso/Club: UPVBC/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <p><strong> <img class=" wp-image-191806 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/04/Carley-Butler-e1650669381800-186x300.jpg" alt="" width="163" height="263" /></strong></p> <p>Carley is currently ranked as the 24^th best overall prospect according to the 2024 Prep Dig State Rankings list, but will be moving way up the rankings in our next update with what I saw this weekend.  She is a phenomenal middle at Owasso high school.  Both her offense and blocking are at an elite level and it was proven this past weekend at Lone Star National Qualifier.  The way she is able to rise up at any given moment without even creating any momentum shows just how explosive she can be.  She is someone that I will be talking about to many of the colleges who message me about explosive uncommitted middles.  I do believe that she can help out a college roster from the moment she steps foot on campus if given the opportunity.  Miss Butler is one that you don’t want to miss out on. Take a look and you will not be disappointed. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.  If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com.  Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.  Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.  Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Oklahoma Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.  Keep them coming!</p>