Nike Cross Court Classic – 15 Open – All-Tournament Team
In this article:
One of the most traditional tournaments annually held in Houston, the Nike Cross Court Classic was played this past weekend at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in downtown, with as many as 675 teams getting on the court. The…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOne of the most traditional tournaments annually held in Houston, the Nike Cross Court Classic was played this past weekend at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in downtown, with as many as 675 teams getting on the court.
The gigantic tournament had 19 different divisions and Prep Dig was in attendance for the Saturday AM wave, paying special attention to the teams from the Lone Star State that were in action in the 15 Open and 16 Open divisions.
Several players stood out with strong performances for their teams and we’ve taken the week to recognize each of them. We’ve completed our positional selections for the 15 Open division, so now it’s time we release our All-Tournament Team:
Minus’ excellent all-around game was of great value for her United VBA 15 Purple team over the weekend. Splitting her time between setting and hitting duties, she impacted the game in a variety of different ways. United’s offense was really fast-paced when in system, but when the team couldn’t send the pass towards the net, Minus had no problem in fixing things with her ballhandling and putting her hitters in a good position to score. She also displayed excellent skills when playing defense on the backcourt and great vision and power to side out at the net.
Highlights
Gabby Estringel
Gabby Estringel
No player in the entire division carried a larger offensive role with their teams than Estringel did with McAllen Fierce 15-1. She was set when at net or at the back and consistently sided out, using her physical and technical tools to put the ball down. A lefty with tremendous resources and great physicality, Estringel even scored from the middle in certain occasions. Also a solid blocker, she made some good impact from the service line and contributed with her passing too.
Lotspeich was among the most complete outside hitters in the division and her numerous contributions were pivotal for TAV Houston 15 Adidas’ victory. A player with impressive technical skills, she was very impactful on the backcourt, taking prominent roles in the tam’s passing and defensive systems. Lotspeich came up big for her team at the net too, playing aggressively and swinging hard against any blocker. Her fighting spirit and determination are also a big source of motivation for her teammates.
Highlights
Carrasquillo is a setter, but showed this past weekend that she could have a bright future as an outside hitter too with great performances with her Roots 151 Green team. Her offense was consistently strong, as her side and good athleticism made of her a reliable scorer from the left and the right. Carrasquillo also displayed a very complete game, contributing to the team’s serve-receive system, making big digs at the back and by dropping from net position and also served tough.
Highlights
Other Positional Breakdowns:
* Setters * Middles * Outsides * Liberos * Right Sides
Pyle was a viable scoring option for her team TAV Houston 15 Adidas during the entire weekend. Capable of hitting different sets very efficiently and very effective because of her length and her ability to swing in different directions, she sided out at a really high rate from the middle. Pyle also made a good impact with her blocking, moving quickly at the net and placing her long arms aggressively across the net to take up space from opposing hitters.
Points brought a lot of intensity to her Houston Stellar 15 Elite team in the middle. She was really difficult to stop when she got into an offensive rhythm because it was nearly impossible to deal with the power generated by her strong approach and heavy arm. Besides siding out consistently, Points also had some very good moments with her blocking, getting touches because of her excellent timing at the net.
Reece was in her usual great form with TAV Houston 15 Adidas. Her presence on the backcourt gave the team a lot of stability and also the ability to run a fast-paced offense because of her great passing efficiency. Reece also generated several transition plays for her team, using her outstanding positioning and superior ball control to dig balls from the left back position. Very determined, she has a confident and positive attitude on the court.