FAST Pre Nationals – 17s – The Middle Blockers
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, now it’s time we turn to the 17s and this time we’ll point out some of the most intriguing middle blockers who were in action.
Hannah Whittingstall Hannah Whittingstall 6'2" | MB Alamo Heights | 2023 State #75 Nation TX – Alamo 17 Premier – HS: Alamo Heights – 2023
Hannah Whittingstall Hannah Whittingstall 6'2" | MB Alamo Heights | 2023 State #75 Nation TX was a force in the middle for her Alamo 17 Premier. Her combination of length and quickness is hard to deal with and she showed she knows exactly how to use it to dominate the net on both sides of the ball. The 6’2” Whittingstall has very quick feet, which really show when she makes her approach to hit the slide set and when she moves around the net to shut opponents down with her big block. She’s also a very good server.
Farah Farooq – Asics Willowbrook 17 Gold – HS: Episcopal – 2023
Another very physical middle who certainly makes her presence felt at the net, Farah Farooq has once again been a key piece in her Asics Willowbrook 17 Gold team. Extremely athletic, the 6’2” Farooq has a huge wingspan and excellent strength in her lower and upper bodies. She’s very aggressive with her blocking and has tremendous power and reach on her offense, but above anything, is a player that will not shy away from the deciding moments of matches and will perform at her best when things are on the line.
Ana Garza Ana Garza 5'11" | OH Alvin | 2023 State TX – AVA TX 17 Adidas – HS: Alvin – 2023
Ana Garza Ana Garza 5'11" | OH Alvin | 2023 State TX is an imposing figure at the net for her AVA TX 17 Adidas team. She stands at six feet and is extremely physical and mobile, a combination that gets her to be highly involved in everything that happens on the net. Garza has tremendous power in her offense, from approaching the net to hitting the ball. She’s also very connected with the game and does a great job of reacting quickly to anything that happens.
Thea Carter Thea Carter 6'3" | MB Alamo Heights | 2024 State TX – Alamo 16 Premier – HS: Alamo Heights – 2024
It didn’t feel like Thea Carter Thea Carter 6'3" | MB Alamo Heights | 2024 State TX was playing one age group up in the FAST Pre Nationals. Part of an Alamo 16 Premier team that performed well in the tournament, she battled toe-to-toe with the best middles in the division and was rightfully selected among the best. Carter is really long at 6’3” but what makes her so effective is her quickness, be it to make her offensive approach or to move laterally when blocking. She’s also a good jumper and has a very quick right arm, making things difficult for opponents who try to stop her. Carter is also very aggressive with her floating serve, creating problems for opponents that way as well.
Addison Chapman – HJV 17 Elite – HS: Katy – 2023
Originally a pin hitter, Addison Chapman was moved to the middle to help cover for some injuries and showed some interesting versatility there. Her 6’3” frame and her long arms certainly helped, but she did a great job in using these tools to make an impact on the game. Chapman was very effective when she was set in the middle and showed very good quickness in her feet to move around the net when blocking. She was also effective from the service line.