AAU Grand Prix: Teams that Can Take It All

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AAU Grand Prix will be in Houston this weekend, and a chance to qualify is on the line. This tournament will take place at 3 different venues across the Houston area. Below we have highlighted 5 teams from 3 age groups who have a good chance of finishing really strong this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Houston Stellar 15 Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I really like Houston Stellar 15 Elite's dynamic this year of returning and new players. New addition <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='318205' first='Anna' last='Kelly']</strong> hails from Bridge City, Texas, and is making the drive into Houston for her club experience. She is a tall outside hitter with an aggressive go-get-it attitude that just made the 2026 rankings. [player_tooltip player_id='318205' first='Anna' last='Kelly'] is a great pin option along with teammate <strong>Navaeh English</strong> on the right side. Navaeh has a lot of snap to her swing and likes to take it down the line for an easy score. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='530380' first='Jenna' last='Thedford'] </strong>from Deer Park is heading up the defense from left back, and she has a pretty good read on tips and is tough to score short on. Another big playmaker from the middle position is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='318191' first='Keaton' last='Points']</strong>, who loves a quick set in the gap and usually does a good job of putting it away. She is also an excellent blocker and I have seen her put away big swings from opposing teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] 15 Adidas</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] 15 Adidas has come a long way since last season. They have improved on offense with outside hitter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='536463' first='Caroline' last='Walden']</strong> packing a punch on the outside. She is a huge momentum builder for her team, and she can put away big swings on crucial points. The libero position is played by<strong> Addison Gibson</strong>, who is always on her toes and moving which I like to see. Addison has been solid in serve receive for her team, and she has been improving each game. She is a great communicator out of left back and plays her role on the team well. Middle blocker <strong>Brooklyn Barrow</strong> has improved lightyears from last season, and is jumping higher and approaching faster and really making herself an integral part of the offense. She brings a lot of fire and heart on the court and knows how to get her team fired up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Katy United 17 Adidas</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love the makeup of this Katy United team this season. With libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='254313' first='Willow' last='Miller']</strong> you can not go wrong. An excellent defender from left back, Willow plays lockdown defense and she has the soft touch even on hard-driven balls. Willow is one of the elite liberos in the greater Houston area. They also have some heavy arms from pin hitters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='205089' first='Katie' last='Cieslewicz']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='254303' first='Sophie' last='Corbeil']</strong>. [player_tooltip player_id='254303' first='Sophie' last='Corbeil'] has been on our radar all year, and her athleticism on the outside is something to see in person. These two make up for a lot of the offense and blocking for Katy United. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177534' first='Makenna' last='Loo']</strong> is also very successful from the outside and often grabs double-digit kills in 2 set games. Worker bee <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='186678' first='Sophie' last='Ilagan']</strong> is also a great defender and passer and makes this team even that much better defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Texstar 17</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High flying outside hitter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='307447' first='Ally' last='Tribe']</strong> is heading up this stacked team. The 6'1 outside has been absolutely destroying the ball lately, and her elevation is a site to see. Setter <strong>Morgan Korinek </strong>plays 6 rotations and does a good job of feeding her hitters and switching up the offense. She has a nice little setter dump that has proven effective. Another feisty utility player on this Texstar team is <strong>Faith Zoch</strong>. Faith has played all over the front row and standing at only 5'7, she has a good verticle and a lot of zip to her swing. She gets tons of tools and knows where to place the ball, but she isn't afraid of a big block and will take it head-on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Woodlands Revolution 16 Premier</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woodlands Revolution 16 Premier has been competing at a high level early on this season. Lefty right side <strong>Lily Anderson</strong> has been impressive so far, and I like her ability to hit from all over the floor. Her setters like to dish her the ball, showing the confidence they have in her ability to make the play. Scrappy libero<strong> Caelan Dalton</strong> seems to find a way to make the play defensively. While it might not always be perfect, Caelan gives a ton of effort to keep the ball off the floor. Middle <strong>Jenna McGuire</strong> has a lot of potential. I like her movements on the front row and transition footwork and she has a solid swing to add to it. If she can work to bring a little more snap to her swing, she could improve her game that much more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->