FAST Pre Nationals – Liberos to Watch
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The month of June has arrived and that means that in just a few weeks the club volleyball season will come to an end, with the best teams in the country competing at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship,…
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Continue ReadingThe month of June has arrived and that means that in just a few weeks the club volleyball season will come to an end, with the best teams in the country competing at the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship, which will take place in Chicago, from June 28-July 6.
Preparing for the GJNC is the focus for most teams in the nation now and the ones from Houston and nearby regions will have a great chance to test themselves ahead of the event this weekend at the traditional FAST Pre Nationals tournament, which will take place across the FAST Complex and the Katy United facility on Saturday and Sunday.
It’s a huge tournament, with 104 teams competing across five age divisions, and Prep Dig will be there following the action. Before the tournament begins, however, let’s list some players that will be competing with their teams who are worth your attention. Check out these liberos if you’re around:
Katie Falcone
Katie Falcone
A class of 2027 prospect, Falcone will be playing defense for United VBA 15 Purple in the Power Pool of the 15s division. She really understands her role as a floor general with the team and, besides getting the job done on the backcourt, communicates very well with her teammates. Falcone’s impressive mobility and her low center of gravity allow her to cover a lot of ground on playing defense. Her quickness also helps her with her passing as she spends not time in getting to the ball. The libero also reads the game very well and offers some tactical flexibility to her team, being capable of defending the left and the middle positions.
Tijerina will play a big role on the backcourt of HOU Stellar 15 Elite in the Power Pool of the 15s division. Her game is very efficient and consistent, two words every coach loves to hear about their liberos. Her excellent reading of the game and position make her job easier on the backcourt, but Tijerena complements it very well with outstanding ball control and a very strong focus. A solid passer too, the libero contributes in other areas of the game as well, recovering balls when covering her hitters and setting well in transition when she needs to.
Highlights
Montgomery splits her time between libero and defensive specialist duties with H Skyline BCS 16 Royal – the team will play in Pool 6 in the 16s division. She’s a very technical player, who’s very clean when making contact with the ball, be it passing or playing defense. Montgomery can play defense in the middle or the left and has good reaction speed to get to the ball and is typically very accurate with her defensive actions. She communicates very well with her teammates on the backcourt and also makes a strong impact from the service line.
Highlights
Bishop will be in action with Roots 161 Green in the Power Pool 1 of the 16s division. She’s a very unique libero because of her 5’8″ frame, which allows her to play the game differently than many other players in the position would. Bishop has a tremendous range with her long frame and also reads the game very well, placing herself in good spots. Because of that, you won’t see her having to dive way too far from her zone to make digs. Bishop also moves very well on the backcourt and has excellent ball control. She’s also a force from the service line, causing a great impact with her serves.
Highlights
Angeles is the starting libero the Texas United 17 Red team that will compete in Power Pool 3 in the 17s division. Very technical and intelligent, she can keep her team in system all day with her accurate and reliable passing. Angeles also does great work on defense, hustling to get digs and using her impressive quickness to make plays. Her excellent movement also allows her to recover balls, be it when covering her hitters or when a teammate can’t quite control the ball when playing defense. Angeles plays the game with a very positive approach and generates a good energy for her team.