Tour of Texas Stop 1 – TAV 16 Black – Top Performers
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One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Tour of Texas because of all of the talent that will be competing. The first stop will be held in Dallas, TX this weekend. I…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Tour of Texas because of all of the talent that will be competing. The first stop will be held in Dallas, TX this weekend. I was able to attend this prestigious event and this next series will be about those players who stood out while I watched their matches in person. I spent most of my time watching the Invitational tournament, which was riddled with Open level talent. There were teams that traveled from Utah, Georgia, California, and Hawaii to compete with our Texas teams. Without further ado, let’s see who stood out on each team.
Texas Advantage 16 Black
The tournament got off to a wonderful start on Saturday and finished Sunday evening. It was meant to end on Monday but the freeze halted the event and no one was able to finish the tournament. Even with no true champion crowned, we were all still able to see some awesome volleyball. One team who has everything going for them is TAV 16 Black. Their entire roster is littered with star player. This star-studded roster went 5-1 on the weekend and battled some extremely tough competition. The following players are who stood out to me when I watched them play.
Kinsley Young Kinsley Young 6'4" | MB Southlake Carroll | 2026 State TX [2026] 6-4 Middle (HS: Southlake Carroll/Club: Texas Advantage Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Kinsley is currently ranked as the 66th best overall prospect in the 2026 class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but I will be the first to admit that she should be moving up very soon when I update them again. She plays at Southlake Carroll High School and also club for the famed Texas Advantage Volleyball club. Miss Young has proven herself over and over again on the court and is in the running for best middle in her grad class. What I saw on Saturday was a middle who is ready to take over a game at any point she wants to. This is both from a defensive standpoint or offensive. Her game has blossomed very well this past year and she will be dominant for years to come. The scary part is that she is just getting started. As an attacker, she is very physical at the net and can throttle the ball around a block no matter what the route is. She is perfectly on time for quick sets and it’s a true zero tempo. As a blocker, Kins is phenomenal as she presses over and seals it away from would-be point scorers. She is the type of middle that every opposing coach should game plan for. Every college coach in the country needs to put this young lady on their short list of players to watch in her age group. She will have her pick of the litter when it comes to offers soon. Mark my words.
Julianna Hernandez Julianna Hernandez 5'6" | DS/L Frisco Memorial | 2026 State TX [2026] 5-6 Libero (HS: Frisco Memorial/Club: Texas Advantage Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Julianna is currently ranked as the 6th best overall prospect in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings. She plays at Frisco Memorial High School and plays club for Texas Advantage Volleyball club. Here is a refresher of what I have written about her last month, “We love us some Julianna!!!! The way that she plays the libero position is textbook, meaning if you looked up libero in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Julianna digging or passing a ball. When you watch her highlight film a lot stands out, but when you watch her in person it is even better. I love that she is always smiling and enjoying the game. Volleyball purists like myself love when players are able to enjoy their passion so much. Her form and technique as she moves to the ball and contacts it is the main reason why I have her ranked as the number one libero in her graduating class. Her natural touch on the ball just cannot be taught.” I love that she plays the position like it is supposed to be played…with total effort and a passion for it. It was very refreshing to see her footwork in action on Saturday against some amazing servers. She routinely made awesome balanced shuffle steps to get set up perfectly to deliver passes to her setter. When you have a libero like her behind you, it makes you very comfortable as a hitter to swing for the fences because you know she will clean up any mess that comes from getting blocked. She was masterful in keeping the ball off of the floor in the match that I watched in person. I am looking forward to each match that I watch in the future. Give her a look and you will see why we are so high on her talent.
Danielle Whitmire Danielle Whitmire 6'1" | S Walnut Grove | 2026 State TX [2026] 6-1 Setter (HS: Prosper/Club: Texas Advantage Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Danielle is currently ranked as the 14th best overall prospect and 3rd best setter in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but from what I saw in person at the tournament tells me that she should be even higher than that. She plays for Prosper High School and also for the nationally recognized Texas Advantage Volleyball club. Here is a refresher of what I have written about her before, “There are setters and then there are technicians who deliver pinpoint accurate sets. Danielle is one of those technical snipers who can thread the needle to all locations over and over. Her hands are identical mirror images of each other during her contact and release, which results in consistent results. I love how her posture hardly ever changes during different sets. This kind of replication of posture keeps her opposing middle blockers honest and not able to cheat towards one direction or the other. That is very high-level technique from a very young setter and every coach in the country is going to love it when they watch her in action.” I was in absolute awe of what I saw from her play this weekend. Not only is she a phenomenal setter, but this young lady is playing all six rotations and has become a lethal attacker. She could be ranked on our state rankings as a right side if that’s all she was. That is how good of a hitter she has become in a short amount of time. It is almost as if she is playing a different game than everyone else on the court when you watch her. She is extremely confident in her abilities and it shows in her production. This will be a breakout year for her as everyone will take notice when they see what I saw. I plan on moving her up the rankings as soon as I update them and get it published. Give her a look and you will see exactly what I saw.
While I only wrote about three players extensively, there were some others who also did very well when I watched. Layla Austin Layla Austin 5'10" | OH Southlake Carroll | 2026 State TX is a stud and there is nothing that anyone can say to deter my thoughts. This young lady can score from any location at any time she wants to. Her game truly speaks for itself. I love her confidence in ball control and attacking. She has that “it factor” that cannot be taught. Caroline Huseman is a banger on the left side. She can bring the heat with the best of them in her position. I love what I saw from her game and will be adding her to the State Rankings when I update them next. This team is poised for a dominant year and I cannot wait to watch their path to Nationals.
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 nov8vb@yahoo.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!