Legends Classic #3 – Middles Who Dominated the Net
The club volleyball season resumed in the state of Texas this past weekend after a two-week break for the holidays and there were several tournaments going on simultaneously around the Lone Star State. Most of the top teams in the…
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Continue ReadingThe club volleyball season resumed in the state of Texas this past weekend after a two-week break for the holidays and there were several tournaments going on simultaneously around the Lone Star State.
Most of the top teams in the state headed to the traditional Countdown City Classic in San Antonio, but I went to the Legends Classic #3, which was hosted by the Open Court Sports Complex in Katy, on Saturday, instead.
The event was a 16s tournament attended by 20 teams from Houston and surrounding areas, which provided me with a great opportunity to take a look at some under-the-radar prospects from the region. I’m sharing my findings during the week, going over every position, and today we’ll look at the middles.
Sterling Lindamood
Sterling Lindamood
The dynamic Lindamood was a stud for her TX Hurricanes 16 CAT 5 team that made it to the gold bracket. She did it all for the team, contributing to their success in a variety of different ways. Lindamood made a big impact with her blocking, slowing down several swings and handling overpasses really well. She was also a force offensively, making contact with the ball at a very high point and hitting from the middle and the right. Well-versed technically, Lindamood also played the back rotations, supporting the team’s serve-receive system.
Kiana Wyatt
Kiana Wyatt
Wyatt was a constant and reliable presence in the middle for gold bracket winners HJV 16 Nationals. Very physical, she made use of her athleticism on both sides of the ball. Her quick feet and good vertical were a factor in her blocking as she did a very good job of taking up space from opposing hitters. On the offensive side of the game, Wyatt stood out for her strong hitting approach and her ability to get off the floor quickly and hit different sets – she displayed tremendous power on the slide set.
Lauren Gray
Lauren Gray
Gray stood out as one of the best pure blockers in the field. She made a big defensive impact for her team Houston Skyline 16 Silver that was second in the silver bracket. Very long and lean, she has great physical tools to play middle and used them really well, pressuring opposing hitters with her long arms every time she went up to block. Gray is also very focused on the match and reacts well to balls that unexpectedly go her way. She’s also fairly effective with her offense, mostly due to her high contact point.
Braelynn Andrisek
Braelynn Andrisek
TX Hurricanes 16 CAT 5 had arguably the strongest middle blocker duo in the entire tournament with Andrisek joining Lindamood in the position. She plays a high-energy game that helps the team raise their intensity level on the court. Andrisek is a strong offensive player, who jumps well, can hit from the middle or the left and does a very good job of using her wrist to send the ball straight down, out of reach for opposing defenders. She’s also very mobile and get the job done with her blocking. Andrisek is very positive on the court, always lightening the mood and encouraging her teammates.
Sofia Williams
Sofia Williams
Williams’ game is still coming together but her physical tools make of her a very interesting prospect to keep an eye on. She has very good size and is tremendously strong on both her up and lower bodies. Her mobility is also above average as she gets to go pin to pin relatively quickly and gets of the floor quickly when blocking. Williams also has tremendous power on her offense, but is still a little bit inconsistent in that part of the game.