Lone Star Regionals – 18s – All-Tournament Team
In this article:
Some of the top 18s teams in the state of Texas were in Houston this past weekend, competing in the 2023 Lone Star Regionals, a qualifier for next month’s USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship. Lone Star Regionals – 18s…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSome of the top 18s teams in the state of Texas were in Houston this past weekend, competing in the 2023 Lone Star Regionals, a qualifier for next month’s USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship.
The bid division had 42 teams in action and Prep Dig was at the FAST Complex on Sunday, following the matches of the gold and silver brackets and taking a look at the best 16 teams in the field.
We’ve taken the week to point out some players who stood out with their teams and, after completing our positional breakdowns, we’ll now reveal our All-Tournament Team selection:
Sydney Louis
Sydney Louis
Louis was excellent at running the offense of division runners-up TAV Houston 18 Adidas alongside fellow setter Lauren Greene Lauren Greene 5’8″ | S Lake Creek | 2023 TX . Her quick release and smart distribution kept the team ticking all weekend and maintained all hitters in a good rhythm during the day. Louis was also very efficient when dealing with passes off the net as she was able to send them into hittable spots to her strong pin hitters. The setter also came up big on the backcourt, having some good serving runs and making good plays on defense.
Chapman was a reliable scoring option for division winners HJV 18 Elite, using her great physical tools to consistently put the ball down. She was set in high-pressure moments and responded well, remaining calm and making good decisions to get the point. Chapman also displayed a good offensive arsenal, hitting different sets from the right and the left and using a variety of resources to score off of them. She also contributed with her big and intelligent blocking, which caused issues for opposing hitters.
Highlights
Waggoner was a key piece in her TAV Houston 18 Adidas team’s playing system, heavily impacting the game with her all-around skills. She was a big part of the team’s serve-receive system and also hag great efficiency in her defensive efforts. Waggoner was also very strong on offense, siding out even when she had to face big blockers at the pin. Her offensive consistency was so noticeable that on certain occasions she was repeatedly set at the middle back and was still able to side out in consecutive plays. Her overall consistency was truly impressive and a huge asset for her team.
An athletic freak, Tchouangwa was the main scoring option for division winners HJV 18 Elite. Her strength at the net was really unmatched as the pin hitter was capable of consistently scoring in a variety of ways. Tchouangwa is nearly impossible to stop when in system because she’s a phenomenal jumper, who makes contact with the ball at a very high point and has a cannon of a right arm. She was also able to develop new shots over the year and that has really shown over the last two seasons, when she began using them more frequently. An underrated aspect of her game is her passing, which is critical for the success of HJV 18 Elite, who use Farah Farooq Farah Farooq 6’1″ | MB Episcopal | 2023 State TX , originally a middle, at the other pin position.
Other Positional Breakdowns:
* Setters * Middles * Outsides * Liberos * Right Sides
India Gantt
India Gantt
No middle was as impactful as Gantt when it came to blocking. The SA Juniors 18 Adidas middle was truly impressive at the net, using her tremendous length to challenge anyone who wanted to score on her team. Besides of very tall and long, Gantt is also very mobile and it was difficult to elude her at the net. The University of Dayton commit was also very quick to read and react to the game, winning most 50-50 disputes at the net and dominating opponents on occasions.
A big and athletic middle, Smith was one of the cornerstones of division winners HJV 18 Elite. Her offensive power was extremely valuable for her team all day as they knew they had a huge chance of getting the point if she was on the ball. Smith sided out in big moments for HJV and also helped her pin hitters thrive by forcing opposing middles to commit to her because of her impressive efficiency. Her blocking was also consistently strong and she got some stops in key moments of matches.
Ava Martindale
Ava Martindale
Martindale played a big role in TAV Houston 18 Adidas’ solid campaign in the division with her strong game on the backcourt. The libero was consistently accurate with her passing, giving her setters the ability to run their offenses in system the entire time. Martindale was also very difficult to score on as she displayed great reflexes to get to tips and excellent ball control to handle hard-driven swings. She generated several second-chance opportunities for TAV too with her great positioning when covering her hitters.