H-Town Showdown #2 – 17s – Right Sides
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The traditional club tournament H-Town Showdown had the second of its four scheduled stops of the year last weekend in Houston, with more than 100 teams competing in three age groups at three different venues in the region. I was…
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Continue ReadingThe traditional club tournament H-Town Showdown had the second of its four scheduled stops of the year last weekend in Houston, with more than 100 teams competing in three age groups at three different venues in the region.
I was at the FAST Complex on Saturday afternoon, following the 17s Division and got to watch the 16 best-seeded teams compete during the way and to see some of the finest volleyball talent in the state of Texas in action.
Several players stood out for their great level of play and I’m taking the week to feature some of them. This time, we’ll look at some of the most dynamic right sides who were in action:
A versatile and powerful offensive player, Maxwell lined up on the right this week for division winners HJV 17 Elite and was the team’s primary scoring option. Her offensive game is truly complete as she has good size, great reach, tremendous power and endless resources to put the ball down. Maxwell has very obviously developed her game over the last few years as she’s capable of scoring with finesse and is also very efficient when out-of-system. She was also incredibly effective with her blocking and made some really empathic stops at the net.
Avery Psencik
Avery Psencik
A very complete player, Psencik split her time between the right and the left with Houston Skyline BCS 17 Royal. She played at a very high level on both positions, delivering what her team needed at the moment – she even hit from the middle on some rotations. Psencik displayed interesting resources to score when out of system and the ability to hit higher or quicker sets – she was really good hitting a quick tempo behind the setter. Her blocking was also very impressive at moments.
Emerson Lechler
Emerson Lechler
Lechler’s play was so strong that it was hard to believe she was playing not one, but two age groups up at the H-Town Showdown #2. Another player who’s capable of lining up on the right or the left, she made a major offensive impact with her Catalyst 17 Green team. Lechler makes contact with the ball at a very high point on offense and has improved a lot in terms of consistency when compared to the last time I watched her play, during the high school season. She also sided out in important moments for her team.
Although her team Houston Stellar 17 Elite was one of the deepest in the division and used every piece extremely well, Morton was one of their individual standouts. She displayed, once again, a very strong offensive game, combining power, athleticism, finesse and very good decision-making. Perhaps more important than that, Morton was very consistent with her production. She also did a very good job with her blocking, creating issues to opposing hitters.
Highlights
Addison Menefee
Addison Menefee
Playing one age group up, Menefee did a very good over the weekend, playing a big role for HJV 17 Premier. She has very good reach on her offense and stands out for her consistency, making very few errors. Menefee is really good at switching the pace of her offense too, going from hard swings to tips and roll shots, and that makes of her a very difficult player to block or defend.