Lone Star Regionals – Setters to Watch
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Houston is the place to be this weekend in the club volleyball scene as H-Town is going to host one of the most prestigious tournaments of the season, the 2023 Lone Star Regionals. The gigantic event held at the George…
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Continue ReadingHouston is the place to be this weekend in the club volleyball scene as H-Town is going to host one of the most prestigious tournaments of the season, the 2023 Lone Star Regionals.
The gigantic event held at the George R. Brown Convention Center will feature over 500 teams in its 11 divisions and club teams from all over the Lone Star State will be on the court in what’s expected to be one of the top events of the season.
Some of the top talent in Texas club volleyball will be in action over the weekend in Houston and we’re taking the week leading to it to feature some of those players. We start with the setters who will have big roles to play with their teams:
Minus will be setting for United VBA 15 Purple in the 15 Bid division this coming weekend. Although her ballhandling is excellent, expect to see a lot more from her as she’s really complete player. Minus likes to run a fast-paced offense when in system, but remains surprisingly accurate and reliable when she has to work with passes away from the net. She has a hybrid role with her team, setting when at the backcourt and hitting when at the net, and gets to produce regardless of what she’s tasked with. Minus also has strong defensive skills, having played as a defensive specialist in the last high school season, and also makes great impact on the backcourt.
Highlights
Gray is a strong candidate to be the most athletic and physical setter in the 16 Bid division with her Roots 161 Green team. Her athleticism shows in a variety of different ways as the setter is very quick with her movement on the court, jumps well, has incredible hangtime and has a very quick left arm. Gray’s touch on the ball is always very clean and precise, giving her hitters excellent stability in terms of getting balls at the same location. The setter is a strong hitter herself, going up high at the net and finding sharp angles with her skilled left hand. She’s also a very intelligent player, who often makes good calls in unexpected situations.
Highlights
One of the most talented setters emerging in the state of Texas, Brown will be in action with AJV 16 Adidas in the 16 Bid division. When watching her play, it’s easy to notice how much work there’s behind her game because a player can’t repeat the same technical gesture over and over again in the way she does without having spent quite some time in the gym working on it. There’s a strong mental component in Brown’s game too as she’s very quick to react and often makes good decisions when under pressure and always looks very calm and confident on the court. She also has some good length and can block at a high level as well.
A tall setter at 5’10”, Lyssy used to split her time between setting and hitting duties, but has concentrated her efforts mostly on her ballhandling with the SA Magic 16 Elite team that will play in the 16 Bid division in Houston. She has an excellent touch on the ball and uses the energy generated by her body when she jumpsets to push the ball to the pin or to accelerate the game. Defense is another strength in Lyssy’s game as she does a great job in getting digs from her right back position. The setter also has a very efficient serve, which often gets opponents out of system.
Highlights
Ryland Pledger
Ryland Pledger
Pledger will likely be the most important player in her Waco VBC 17 UA Red team in the 17 Bid division. A setter with excellent height and interesting technical skills, she also plays a strong leadership role in the team. She’s typically very precise with her sets and that, in big part, is due to her excellent mobility on the court, which helps her get in perfect positions to make contact with the ball. Pledger normally takes up hitting duties when at the net and she’s typically very effective in that role too, using her high contact point to overcome opposing blockers.