FAST Pre Nationals – 17s – The Defensive Specialists
The club volleyball season is quickly approaching its end, with the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC), the highlight of the year, set to happen from June 23-July 4 in Indiana. The FAST Pre Nationals tournament has established itself…
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Continue ReadingThe club volleyball season is quickly approaching its end, with the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC), the highlight of the year, set to happen from June 23-July 4 in Indiana.
The FAST Pre Nationals tournament has established itself as the final event in the Houston area ahead of the GJNC. This year, the tournament was held in three different venues on June 11-12 and offered a final opportunity for us to watch some of the best teams in the state before they had to Indiana to fight for the national title.
We were at the FAST Complex on Saturday afternoon watching the 16s and 17s Power Pools and this time are spending not one, but two weeks producing reports about the event. After looking at the 16s division last week, we’re diving into the 17s this week and after exploring all other positions, it’s time we take a look at the defensive specialists.
Rylee Busse Rylee Busse 5'10" | OH Cornerstone Christian | 2023 State TX – Alamo 17 Premier – HS: Cornerstone Christian – 2023
Rylee Busse Rylee Busse 5'10" | OH Cornerstone Christian | 2023 State TX was a defensive pillar for her Alamo 17 Premier team during the tournament. Every time she came in for one of the team’s outside hitters in the backcourt, the team’s defensive game just gave a couple of steps up because of her impressive precision with her passing and her hard work to dig balls. Busse is also an excellent server and, standing at 5’10”, holds her own extremely well at the net too.
Kennedy Gustafson – TAV Houston 17 Adidas – HS: Summer Creek – 2023
Kennedy Gustafson has been one of the most influential defensive specialists I’ve watched in the entire club season because of her consistency and reliability. One of the keys to the excellent production of the 5’8” Gustafson is her calm on the ball, which, when paired with her outstanding positioning, generates quite a few digs and transition opportunities for her team. The defensive specialist is also a productive server.
Nylah Raspberry – HJV 17 Elite – HS: Ridge Point – 2022
Nylah Raspberry joined HJV 17 Elite during the club season coming from Houston Juniors’ top 18s teams and proved to be an excellent addition. The 5’8” defensive specialist is extremely consistent and is used to play big roles in big teams and brought all that to add to an already strong team. Raspberry plays excellent defense thanks to her excellent positioning and superior ball control and is a difference-maker on the backcourt.
Lauren Franco – Ignite VBC 17 Blaze – HS: Smithson Valley – 2023
Lauren Franco’s calm on the ball proved to be a valuable asset to Ignite VBC 17 Blaze’s offensive system as her accurate first touch often initiated the team’s attack. The 5’5” Franco is an excellent passer and also generates great defensive volume on the backcourt by benefiting from her superior positioning.
Olivia Abbott Olivia Abbott 5'7" | OH Stratford | 2023 TX – AVA TX 17 Adidas – HS: Stratford – 2023
AVA TX 17 Adidas has two exceptional defensive players Olivia Abbott Olivia Abbott 5'7" | OH Stratford | 2023 TX and Cierra Pesak and makes the most of them by rotating them between the libero and defensive specialist positions. The 5’7” Abbott was particularly solid during the tournament, producing at a high level and with excellent consistency. Very technical, she’s extremely reliable on serve-receiving and also brings a lot of value on defense.