Lone Star Classic National Qualifier Top Performers Vol 2
Tons of talent gathered together in Dallas over the weekend for the Lone Star Classic National Qualifier. This is widely regarded as one of the toughest qualifiers of the year in the nation due to the strength of the teams…
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Continue ReadingTons of talent gathered together in Dallas over the weekend for the Lone Star Classic National Qualifier. This is widely regarded as one of the toughest qualifiers of the year in the nation due to the strength of the teams in the lone star state and also because of the teams who travel from all over the country to play in it. We were lucky enough to be able to watch the elite competition over all three days and are starting this series of articles on players that stood out to us for various reasons. Here are a few of them:
Elaiza Martinez Elaiza Martinez 6'0" | MB Roma | 2024 State TX [2024] 6-0 Middle (HS: Roma/Club: Valley Venom/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Elaiza is currently an unranked prospect according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but is on our watch list with what we have seen this season from her play. She plays at Roma High School and also for the Valley Venom club program. I was able to watch Miss Martinez in person with her talented squad on day one of the tournament and she did not disappoint. Her right arm is golden and she scores at a very high clip out of the middle position. Her team runs her on a higher tempo middle set usually and she times it perfectly to create solid pace on the attack. What I love about her is how she is able to cut the ball around the block so well to either corner. This helps keep her scoring very efficient. You can tell that she uses great court vision to see where the block is in front of her and swing around it. Elaiza is also a great contributor to her team’s defensive scheme by establishing such a strong presence at the net. I watched her block a few shots and also alter quite a few attacks due to her opposing attacker not wanting to be stuffed. She is someone who we have written about before and will keep our eye on her as a college prospect. Stay tuned for more on Miss Martinez.
Madisyn Sosa [2024] 5-8 Outside (HS: McAllen Memorial/Club: Texas Fierce Elite/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Madisyn is currently an unranked prospect according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but she is now on our watch list from what I saw in person at the tourney. She plays at McAllen Memorial High School and also for the Texas Fierce Elite volleyball program. Although smaller in size compared to other left side attackers, Miss Sosa is able to rise off of the ground very quickly and play well above the net like her taller counterparts. Madisyn is very bouncy and her feet never stick to the ground long during her attack approach. Do not sleep on her because of her height as she will make you pay if you do. She is the total package meaning she can do it all on the court. I am sure that if a coach needed her to step in at any position, she would be able to do it at a high level. Her game centers around ball control as she is a true six rotation player who excels on the defensive side as well. She is super solid as a serve receiver and always has the pass in a position to where the setter can have perfect posture to set. I love the attention she puts on holding her platform angle steady during and after contact to ensure great placement of the pass. She played extremely well during the match I watched on day two of the tourney.
Arelie Hershberg [2026] 5-11 Right Side (HS: South/Club: Sunshine/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Arelie is currently an unranked prospect according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings, but that is only because we have not released them yet. She plays at South High School in Torrance and also plays club for the Sunshine program. I was thoroughly impressed with how easily she rose up off of the ground on the right side of the net. The bouncy lefty has such a long reach with her left arm that it makes it very difficult for opposing blockers to time her attack. She is able to move the ball around the block very well at such a young age and this will keep her super aggressive for years to come. Miss Hershberg is able to utilize a lightning fast arm swing to add some serious pace to her attack. She unleashes that violent swing on her opponents from the right side and it is deadly for her squad. Any team would love to have such a high percentage attack from the opposite position. Even though she is young, she is still able to be a dominant force at the net while blocking the opponents best attacker. I was thoroughly impressed with her play and will look to add her to the rankings soon.
As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at Michael@prepdig.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!