Tour of Texas Stop 1 – Wave 17 Juliana – Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.&nbsp; The first stop will be held in Dallas, TX this weekend. &nbsp;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.&nbsp; I spent most of my time watching the Invitational tournament, which was riddled with Open level talent.&nbsp; There were teams that traveled from Utah, Georgia, California, and Hawaii to compete with our Texas teams.&nbsp; Without further ado, let's see who stood out on each team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Wave 17 Juliana</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tournament got off to a wonderful start on Saturday and finished Sunday evening.  It was meant to end on Monday but the weather 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.  Since the Wave volleyball club decided to make their way to Texas to compete against the elite competition, I thought I would watch them very closely and report on how they fared.  The following players are who stood out to me when I watched them play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='366845' first='Quinn' last='Loper']&nbsp;[2025] 6-1 Outside (HS: San Clemente/Club: Wave/Verbal: University of Southern California)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":501129,"width":"150px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/01/Quinn-Loper-crop-4800x3152-1705436494.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-501129" style="width:150px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quinn is currently ranked as the 10^th best overall prospect in the 2025 Class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings.&nbsp; She plays volleyball at San Clemente High School and plays club for WAVE Volleyball.&nbsp; There is no doubt that the offense runs through Quinn and her gifted right arm.&nbsp; Miss Loper is a true six rotation OH1 who can score from any location on the court at any given time.&nbsp; Her strength truly comes from some amazing footwork toward the ball and a beautiful picture perfect approach.&nbsp; I love watching her flare out to her outside touch point after passing serve because she has her eyes on the prize and her only mission is to terminate the ball.&nbsp; This is a mission that she completes very efficiently for her squad when they need it the most.&nbsp; As an attacker, she truly has no fear of the block or defense and swings at the ball with bad intentions every time.&nbsp; While I watched her play, she went on a run of three kills in a row and caused the other team to take a quick time out.&nbsp; The [player_tooltip player_id='366845' first='Quinn' last='Loper'] show was on full display for everyone in attendance at the Tour of Texas.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='435367' first='Alexis' last='Richards'] [2025] 5-9 Setter (HS: San Dieguito Academy/Club: Wave/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":501131,"width":"157px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/01/Alexis-Richards-crop-4800x3152-1705436558.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-501131" style="width:157px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexis is currently an unranked prospect in the 2025 Class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings.&nbsp; She plays volleyball for San Dieguito High School and also plays club for the WAVE volleyball program.&nbsp; I was quite surprised to see Miss Richards not only running the show in the match that I saw, but she was doing it in a 5-1 offense.&nbsp; When she was in the front row, she battled very well at the net and wasn't flustered at all against the Open Level Texas talent she went up against.&nbsp; I also like that the offense did not falter at all when she was in the front row.&nbsp; When you watch her play the game, you see movements from her that tell you she has played other positions in her career.&nbsp; There are not many setters who are able to see the game and move like she does in certain situations.&nbsp; This allows her to truly understand defense at a high level and also timing the block.&nbsp; She uses her jump sets not only to set the middle but the pins also.&nbsp; As I have watched her play for Coast last season and now for this amazing team, it is apparent that she belongs in our state rankings and look forward to adding her at the next update.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='179674' first='Yuri' last='Park'] [2025] 5-3 Libero (HS: Rancho Bernardo/Club: Wave/Verbal: Yale)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":501133,"width":"159px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/01/Yuri-Park-crop-4800x3152-1705436611.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-501133" style="width:159px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yuri is currently ranked as the 11^th best overall prospect in the 2025 Class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings.&nbsp; She plays volleyball for Rancho Bernardo High School and also plays club for the WAVE volleyball program. &nbsp;I have been lucky enough to cover Yuri for a few years now and it never ceases to amaze me how she plays the position at such an elite level.&nbsp; It is almost like watching a Chess master study the game and be steps ahead of everyone else.&nbsp; That is what I see when I watch her eyes track the ball and read the defense.&nbsp; What I also love is how no matter what the score or situation is, Miss Park will remain calm and under control.&nbsp; Her teammates can always count on her to be present mentally and be ready for battle.&nbsp; I suggest all young liberos to study Yuri's game film to see how she plays the position and learn from her.&nbsp; From a volleyball purist's perspective, the way she keeps her posture from start to finish is amazing and I wish all liberos would understand that kind of discipline in their posture.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While I only wrote about three players extensively, there were some others who also did very well when I watched. [player_tooltip player_id='366850' first='Nia' last='Thompson'] was flat out a stud for WAVE in the match that I watched in person.  I always marveled at her ability to fly and swing with purpose, but this tournament seemed to be a little bit different.  Every college coach who needs a scoring option on their roster in her class should be giving her a solid look.  She can help someone right now!  [player_tooltip player_id='223808' first='Nazare' last='Judd'] had a fantastic tournament helping her team as both a defensive specialist and libero. Her height while playing the libero position helps her to reach far beyond what normal undersized players can reach. She has hands like a setter to set the second ball during out of system plays. She deserves a ton of looks as he has exceptional ball control in the back row. This team showcased their abilities against Texas's best and we will definitely be hearing from them more in the coming weeks and months as they are one of Cali's best in their age group. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:nov8vb@yahoo.com">nov8vb@yahoo.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->