Club Team Feature – Houston Stellar 17 Elite
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The club season is already underway in the state of Texas and hundreds of teams have already been in action and done great things over the first weeks of play in the Lone Star State. Everyone is taking a little…
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Continue ReadingThe club season is already underway in the state of Texas and hundreds of teams have already been in action and done great things over the first weeks of play in the Lone Star State.
Everyone is taking a little break for the holidays and will get back to full power on the first weekend of the month, so we’re taking the week to feature some of the 17s teams from the Houston area that we believe have the potential to make really good things over the next few months.
Houston Stellar 17 Elite
The team from the popular Houston Stellar club from Pasadena ranked 13th in the FAST Warm Up with three wins and two losses. 17 Elite has plenty of talent in several positions, with Tatum Busch Tatum Busch 5'11" | OH Deer Park | 2024 State TX , Anzley Rinard, Megan Donoughue, Taylor Larkin Taylor Larkin 6'0" | MB Summer Creek | 2024 State TX , Taylor Crain and Grace Morton Grace Morton 6'0" | RS Fort Bend Christian | 2025 TX standing out as some of their key players.
Key Players
One of the top Class of 2024 players in the entire state according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, Busch is really complete and well-rounded. She masters pretty much every area of the game, being a reliable passer, an elite defender and a very consistent scorer. Besides her technical skills, Busch also stands out for her mental strength. She not only plays the game with impressive calm and focus, but is also extremely smart with every decision she makes on the court. That leads her to not only produce at a very high level, but also to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
The 5’11” Donoughue is one of the most exciting setters to watch in the region. A lefty with great length, she plays the game very aggressively and normally scores a lot of points on her own – be it with setter dumps, aces, blocks or even taking up hitting duties at the net. She’s also technically very strong, which shows when she’s moving the ball around among her hitters or playing defense. Donoughue is also very vocal and encouraging on the court, making a positive impact on her teammates with her words and actions.
A physical middle who’s very strong on both sides of the ball, Larkin controls the net for Houston Stellar 17 Elite. Very active and athletic, she’s a force and gives her team power and size. Larkin has great production in kills and blocks with her high school team Summer Creek and that has a lot to do with her physical tools and the high level of intensity with that she plays the game. Her offensive approach is really strong and it probably helps her get the edge over opposing blockers. When it’s her trying to stop shots, she uses her length very well and has excellent timing with her jumps.
Highlights
Taylor Crain
Taylor Crain
Houston Stellar has a strong tradition of developing excellent liberos and Crain is the one that displays it with 17 Elite. I’ve watched her play a couple of times in the past and her hard work on the backcourt is truly impressive. Extremely technical, Crain is very precise with her first contact, be it a pass or a dig, and rarely makes a mistake, generating an unmatched level of reliability for her team. She’s also great at taking care of some little, yet important things, such as covering her hitters and setting in transition.
Morton has been with us at one of our recent Prep Dig Top 250 Expos in Houston and she clearly continues to make a great impression with her club team Houston Stellar 17 Elite, even playing one age group up. She has excellent physical tools to work with, standing at six feet and having long arms, but also works really hard on the court. Her game is really smooth and her offense is very diversified, going from hard hits to smart tips and roll shots. She also makes great impact with her blocking, using her long arms to press opposing hitters and channel their swings.