Northern Lights Qualifier: Five Texas Liberos to Watch
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Bid season has officially started in club volleyball and that means that for the next few months, goal number one for every club team in the country will be qualifying for the National Championship in their respective age groups. Some…
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Continue ReadingBid season has officially started in club volleyball and that means that for the next few months, goal number one for every club team in the country will be qualifying for the National Championship in their respective age groups.
Some Texas teams got it done last weekend, at the Adidas Lone Star Classic, in Austin, and several others will have the opportunity to book their tickets this week, when they compete at the Northern Lights Qualifier, held in Minneapolis.
The Lone Star State is sending as many as 53 teams to compete in divisions in the 15s, 17s and 18s age groups and while we wish them good luck and prepare for the event, let’s take a look at some talented Texas players who will be on the court from Friday to Sunday, now listing a few liberos who could be poised for big weekends:
Riley McCallister
Riley McCallister
McCallister is the starting libero of the Arete 15 Navy Telos team that will be competing in the 15 USA division. She’s excellent at taking care of the left back position and has tremendous success with her attempts to keep the ball in play. McCallister reads the game extremely well and is very quick to get to the ball, always making contact with it with the body in the right position. She’s very disciplined too and won’t be caught out of position when covering her hitters. The libero is also very precise with her passing, playing a big role in their serve-receive system.
Keelea Alexander
Keelea Alexander
Alexander and her team Drive Nation 17 Red will fight for the bid in the 17 Open division. She’s a big part of a solid, well-organized team and takes great care of her defensive duties, allowing their offense to run smoothly. Alexander is very active on the backcourt and her intense movement helps her cover a lot of ground defensively. Her vision is also truly impressive as you can often see her sliding a couple of steps into the court just for the ball to go through a gap in the block and find her right there waiting for it. Alexander also has tremendous ball control and can deal with any sort of swing.
Wacaster will be leading the backcourt efforts of Dallas Premier 17 Black when they get on the court in the 17 USA division. It’s her first season with the team but she’s already taken control of the backcourt, communicating well and keeping things organized. Wacaster is extremely prolific in serve-receiving as she gets to cover a huge area on the court, freeing up the outside hitters to focus on offense. Another thing that really stands out in her game is her ability to make digs while diving and still send the ball exactly where she wants.
Highlights
With White as their libero, Texas Tornados 18 Adidas will battle in the 18 Liberty division. An extremely technical player, she’s excellent with her ball control and has the ability to be a true difference-maker on the backcourt with the number of digs she gets every match. White, who plays as an outside hitter for her high school team Cypress Ridge, is very agile and can get to balls not many would believe she would. The libero can also be a weapon from the service line, with a tough floater, and gets the job done when she’s asked to set in transition.
Highlights
A state champion with Grand Oaks player setter, Terry has moved to libero at club and will be with TAV Houston 18 Adidas in the 18 USA division. She’s a very technical and intelligent player, who is extremely productive and reliable regardless of the position she plays. At libero, Terry stands out for her impressive consistency with her passing as she can handle any serves that go her way with grace and precision. She’s also extremely efficient defending the left back position, anticipating plays and keeping the ball in play. Needless to say, she can also set in transition extremely well, placing the hitters in a good position to score even when out of system.