Lone Star Classic Week 3 – Texas Outsides to Watch
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After several weeks of getting on the road to compete for a spot at the 2023 USA Girls Junior National Championship, Texas teams will have homecourt advantage this weekend, when they will play in Dallas in the third week of…
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Continue ReadingAfter several weeks of getting on the road to compete for a spot at the 2023 USA Girls Junior National Championship, Texas teams will have homecourt advantage this weekend, when they will play in Dallas in the third week of the 2023 Lone Star Classic.
One of the biggest national qualifiers there is, the Lone Star Classic has been going on for two weeks already and the third and final weekend of competition will feature as many as 11 divisions from the 15s, 16s and 17s age groups.
As expected, several teams from Texas will be on the court in Dallas this weekend and we’re using the days leading to the event to present some of the most exciting prospects from the Lone Star State that will be competing in the Open divisions. It’s time we point out some outside hitters who could have a big weekend in Dallas:
The top prospect in Texas according to our 2026 Prep Dig State Rankings, Anderson will determine how well AP 15 Adidas does this weekend with her play. A lethal offensive player, she’s a scoring machine at the pin and has showed she can deliver under pressure, having helped her high school team Dripping Springs win the State Tournament having a big role with them. Her size and offensive power are the first things to stand out when Anderson is on the court, but if you watch her play for a little longer than a few points, it’s easy to notice how complete she is and how important her game is for her team when it comes to passing and playing defense too.
A long and athletic pin hitter, Timme is one of the backbones of her Areté 16 Navy Telos team. She’s a very strong offensive player, who uses her size and explosiveness to score points at the net, but also contributes at a high level on the backcourt, passing and playing defense consistently. Timme’s offensive game is very complete and she scores at a high level from the left, right and middle back. She also uses her length and mobility well when blocking, making good stops at the net.
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The explosive Orellana will most likely be the main offensive option of her team SA Magic 16 Elite. Capable of playing on the left or the right, she has a very diversified offensive game and uses all of her tools well to put the ball down, swinging hard when in system and turning to shot and tips or tooling the block when not in ideal conditions. Orellana also does well with her passing and typically creates problems from the service line with her floater.
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Busch is a central piece in Houston Stellar 17 Elite’s playing system with her complete and efficient game. A player that heavily influences the game on both sides of the ball, the outside hitter takes on big scoring duties with her team while also providing great stability on the backcourt with her passing and defense. Tatum has the size and power to overcome blockers, but often plays smarter than it, looking for gaps or open spots and sending the ball there with a quick arm swing. Also a solid blocker, she’s very technical and calm, producing at a high level with very few mistakes on the backcourt.
Battle is among HJV 17 Elite’s most technical and consistent players and that gives her an important role with the team. She has a huge responsibility in serve-receive, often splitting the court with libero Alice Volpe Alice Volpe 5’5″ | DS/L Bridgeland | 2024 State #83 Nation TX , and consistently delivers the ball in perfect conditions to her setter. Not the tallest hitter, Battle is a strong offensive player too because of her excellent athleticism, which allows her to jump high and remain on the air for a long period, and her high volleyball IQ, which helps her to find solutions to any situation.