H-Town Showdown #4 – 16s – The Right Sides
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 today we’ll highlight some of the most intriguing right side hitters we saw in action during the day.
Bailee Payne – AVA TX 15 Adidas – HS: Sterling – 2024
Capable of playing on the right or the left, Bailee Payne stands out for her explosiveness. Despite standing at 5’10”, she doesn’t have a ton of length, but makes up for that with tremendous leaping ability and a quick right arm. Payne is great at hitting around the block but can also tool it when that’s the better option. Very skilled, she also helps with serve-receiving. Payne produced 140 kills, 80 digs and 98 passes in the last high school season with Sterling.
Rowan Haecker – Texas United 16 Red – HS: St. Agnes Academy – 2024
There’s really nothing Rowan Haecker can’t do on a volleyball court. She split her time between hitting and setting duties on the right side for Texas United 16 Red and did well in both roles. The 5’9” Haecker, who can also play as an outside hitter, is not a very powerful hitter, but is extremely productive with her excellent technique and understanding of the game, often hitting around the block. She can also side out in difficult moments of matches and helped the team with her serve-receiving on some occasions as well.
Abigail Lampo – Fr Challenge Elite 16 Royal – HS: Clear Springs – 2024
A long and left-handed right side, Abigail Lampo is still building her game in certain ways, but has tremendous potential. She stands at 5’11” and can hammer the ball with her left hand when in system. She can hit the ball in different ways and is very effective with her blocking too, shutting down opposing hitters. One area of improvement for her would be putting more energy into her approach, so she can make contact with the ball at a higher point when hitting.
Dawson Todd – HJV 16 Molten – 2024
Dawson Todd certainly doesn’t impress for the 5’5” frame, but the HJV 16 Molten right side hitter is tougher to deal with than many would imagine. She’s very explosive, jumps well and is not scared of going against big blocks. Todd has a very strong approach and is capable of transferring a lot of her power to the ball when she makes contact with it. She’s also a threat when hitting from the backcourt because of her ability to hit around the block.
Lauren Kerr – Texas United 16 Red – HS: Glenda Dawson – 2024
When Haecker is in the back, it’s Lauren Kerr who takes up Texas United 16 Red’s right side spot and, although the move brings a change of style, it’s hard to say there’s any drop in production. A lefty, the 5’11” Kerr is very physical and that translates into her game. She has the power to challenge even the best blocks and is not afraid to do so. Also a capable blocker, Kerr steps up when the game is on the line and showed an interesting ability to side out and perform under pressure.
Camryn Kerlick – Texas Tornados 16 National – HS: Cypress Ranch – 2024
Camryn Kerlick’s game is still a work in progress, but she made the list because of her sky-high potential. Originally a middle blocker, she stands at 6’3” but has good mobility for a player of her size and age. Kerlick is already capable of impacting matches with her blocking presence and there’s still tons of room for improvement on her offense, especially when it comes to timing and power.