H-Town Showdown #4 – 16s – The Middle Blockers
One of the most comprehensive and interesting events in the Houston club volleyball scene, the H-Town Showdown held its fourth stop in 2022 this past weekend, with competition taking place in two different venues across the city. The fourth weekend…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most comprehensive and interesting events in the Houston club volleyball scene, the H-Town Showdown held its fourth stop in 2022 this past weekend, with competition taking place in two different venues across the city.
The fourth weekend of the event reunited 40 teams in the 16s division and another 19 in the 18’s division. Competition took place in two different venues and we headed to the Texas Tornados club on Saturday, where 24 teams of the 16s division competed in the morning.
As usual, we’re presenting our positional breakdowns during the week and this time we’ll feature the standout middle blockers.
Sophia Burke – HJV 16 National – HS: Jersey Village – 2024
A middle blocker that combines a good physical presence at the net, quick feet and a very efficient game, Sophia Burke was a key piece in HJV 16 National team. A six-footer, she knows how to make her presence felt at the net on both sides of the ball. Burke is a terrific offensive player with her ability to hit several sets and unleash the power in each of them and has excellent reading and mobility, doing great in closing spaces. She had an important role with her high school team Jersey Village this past season, tallying 107 kills and 24 blocks.
Avery Sims – Woodlands Revolution 16 Black – HS: Conroe – 2024
A 5’11” middle blocker with tremendous length, Avery Sims tremendously benefits from her long frame and arms at the net. She’s a very good blocker, moving really well at the net, closing the space next to the pin blocker and aggressively placing her arms across the net. Sims also has excellent reach on her offense and is capable of hitting the ball in different directions.
Gabriella Fernandez – TAV Houston 16 Molten – 2024
Gabriella Fernandez is the typical middle blocker that uses her size and physical power well to dominate the net. A six-footer, she proved to be an important asset to her TAV Houston 16 Molten team with her solid presence at the net. Fernandez is capable of hitting the ball hard and can put up a big block, fulfilling her main roles with the team very well.
Wylie Singleton – AVA TX 16 Adidas – HS: Alvin – 2024
When it comes to pure power, it was hard to beat Wylie Singleton. A six-footer, the AVA TX 16 Adidas middle blocker benefited from her tremendous physicality to make a huge impact at the net. Singleton was a beast on offense with her very strong approach and ever more powerful cannon of a right arm. Unstoppable at the net at times, she also showed to have very good control when asked to play defense. Singleton is coming off a high school season in which she produced 156 kills and 60 blocks for Alvin.
Brynn Haskins – Texas United 16 Red – HS: Glenda Dawson – 2024
A towering 6’1” middle blocker with long arms and a very strong frame, Brynn Haskins helped a good Texas United 16 Red team with her presence at the net. She’s a really impactful player and does an excellent job with her blocking, reacting quickly to place her arms across the net. Haskins can also be difficult to stop on offense because of her tremendous reach and arm speed.
Taylor Mechura – Texas Tornados 16 National – HS: Cinco Ranch – 2024
One of the several things that stand out in Taylor Mechura’s game is her high level of energy on the court. The 5’11” middle blocker positively affects her teammates with her dynamic play and gets to make an impact in the game on both sides of the ball. Mechura is an excellent blocker and showed an interesting ability to make stops in key moments of matches. She’s also a very efficient hitter, using her arm power really well to overcome opposing blockers.