2023 GJNC Preview: 18 Open – Madfrog 18’s N Green
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The club volleyball season is coming to an end for the players competing in the 18s age group and the final stop in this stage of their careers will take place at the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National…
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Continue ReadingThe club volleyball season is coming to an end for the players competing in the 18s age group and the final stop in this stage of their careers will take place at the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship, which will be held in Columbus, Ohio, from April 28-30.
Texas will have a huge representation in Ohio, with as many as 44 teams entered to compete across six different divisions and many of them will be real contenders at the National Championship.
We’ve already posted our Texas Previews for each of the 18 American, 18 Freedom, 18 Liberty, 18 National and 18 USA divisions and now we’ll do things a little bit differently for the prestigious 18 Open division, presenting individual previews for the eight teams from the Lone Star State that will fight for the title in Columbus.
Madfrog ‘ last=”]’ last=”] 18’s N Green – Mad Frog Volleyball (Plano)
Season Record (on AES): 30-25
Players to Watch:
One of the most explosive middles in the entire state, Berry is an important offensive weapon for Madfrog ‘ last=”]’ last=”] 18’s N Green. She uses her incredible athleticism extremely well to score, jumping really well and spinning her strong right arm with power to beat blockers and defenders. Berry typically gets a lot of kills every time she gets on the court and that, in big part, is due to her excellent footwork, which makes her available time after time in transition. Berry is also a very productive blocker, who patrols the net well and puts a lot of pressure on opposing hitters.
Bayless made a statement with her excellent production in her senior high school season and her final months of club volleyball aren’t going any different. The outside hitter has been a force for Madfrog ‘ last=”]’ last=”] 18’s N Green, contributing in several areas of the game. Bayless is tall, explosive and very technical and can score from anywhere on the court, in any situation – she’s nearly unstoppable when in system. The pin hitter also has a big and technical block and has made great progress with her serving over the last year or so.
Vastly recognized as one of the top setters in the state of Texas and the second-best player in the position in our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings, McDonald runs Madfrog ‘ last=”]’ last=”] 18’s N Green’s offense with great quality and efficiency. There are many things that make of her the excellent setter she is, but her very high volleyball IQ is what makes a real difference. A lefty, McDonald is very technical and executes very well, repeatedly setting at the same perfect locations, but the key to her success is on making smart decisions and understanding what’s going on in the court. She also has very good mobility and very quick feet.
Highlights
The right side position is often a tricky one as players sometimes don’t have all the skills to thrive there, but Hughes is certainly an exception. Although she first started as a middle, she always had the skillset needed to be effective on the right, pairing good size and power with impressive mobility and all-around kills. Hughes is very versatile offensively, being capable of scoring from anywhere at the net and also of hitting a few different sets and is really hard to stop because of her high contact point and quick arm. She is also a standout blocker, who reads opponents very well and gets in their way.
Outstanding ball control and the willingness to do what it takes to keep the ball off the floor are traits of the best liberos and you can find these skills in Ivie’s game. She’s very clean and technical when making contact with the ball, often managing to send the ball at, or at least around, the location that would be considered ideal. Ivie is also very determined and a hard worker on the backcourt, often making unorthodox moves to get digs and put the ball up. She plays a highly-efficient game, which is instrumental in the offensive success of her Madfrog ‘ last=”]’ last=”] 18’s N Green team.