High School Team Feature – Stratford Spartans
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The high school volleyball regular season is over in the state of Texas and the playoffs are already underway, so every team in the state has been on the court more than enough times for us to have a good…
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Continue ReadingThe high school volleyball regular season is over in the state of Texas and the playoffs are already underway, so every team in the state has been on the court more than enough times for us to have a good idea about what to expect from them.
Here at PrepDig, we are committed to covering and promoting as many prospects as possible, from the most popular names to the hidden gems that typically abound at the Lone Star State and during the high school season we’re also doing it by featuring the teams they play at.
Every time we’re at the gym, we take the time to give a good look at the teams on the court and we’ll try to feature as many as possible here in this space. The Stratford Spartans, who won their district with an undefeated campaign, are the next team on our list.
The Squad
With just one key senior departing in outside hitter Alexis Andrews, the Spartans seemed set for a strong campaign, which they confirmed throughout the season. Much of it was given to the stellar play of their senior core of Skylar George Skylar George 6'1" | OH Stratford | 2023 State TX , Sharlotte McClintock Sharlotte McClintock 6'3" | MB Stratford | 2023 State TX , Olivia Abbott Olivia Abbott 5'7" | OH Stratford | 2023 TX and Nina Terry.
Key Players
The dynamic outside hitter was one of the cornerstones of the team during the entire season, playing important roles in several areas of the game. Very complete offensively, George used her vast arsenal to side out in key moments of matches for the Spartans. Very intelligent in her decision-making, she also made very few mistakes. The senior was also a big part of the team’s serve-receive system and displayed good reading of the game to impact it on defense. George was also important from the service line with her floater.
McClintock’s senior season was a testament to how much she developed over the course of her high school career. The 6’3″ middle always used her length and size to be a force at the net with her blocking, but significantly improved other areas of her game more recently. McClintock is much more mobile now and has become a more reliable offense player too, hitting a very quick set down the middle and making contact with the ball at a very high point. Her offensive development shows in her attitude on the court too, as she now calls for the ball the entire time.
Stratford’s talismanic libero had another stellar season as a senior. Her technical skills are second-to-none and make of her a very reliable and productive player on the backcourt. Abbott takes great control of the team’s backcourt efforts, takes responsibility for the first contact whenever she has a chance to and is always very precise with her actions, be it when passing or playing defense. She also does her ‘secondary’ roles well, setting greatly in transition and going on long serving runs with her floater.
Nina Terry
Nina Terry
Stratford’s starting setter for the most part of the last seasons, Terry is a player that proves her value by repeatedly performing well and making the right choices. She’s very precise with her locations and always looks very calm on the ball. As a setter, Terry likes to keep all her hitters involved as much as possible, and the talented group of hitters she has at Stratford certainly allows her to do that, but she also has a great feeling of the game and knows exactly which of them to set in key moments.
Audrey Cook
Audrey Cook
If there’s one position the Spartans can already feel confident about for their future it’s probably setter. That’s because Cook had an excellent freshman season and emerged as one of the most promising players in her class. She has the entire package, reuniting technical skills, understanding of the game and the ability to fool blockers when in-system and to set hittable balls when out-of-system. She looks like a veteran on the court and plays very good defense too.