Star Sports Center #5 – Top Liberos
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The club volleyball season continues to progress in the state of Texas, with several tournaments being held every weekend across the Lone Star State. Last Saturday, the British International School of Houston welcomed one of them, the Star Sports Center…
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Continue ReadingThe club volleyball season continues to progress in the state of Texas, with several tournaments being held every weekend across the Lone Star State.
Last Saturday, the British International School of Houston welcomed one of them, the Star Sports Center #5, hosted by the Houston Stars club. The tournament featured 22 teams from the 16s, 17s and 18s age groups, which competed in a single division.
It was a great opportunity to take a look at some players who don’t always take part in the major events we get to attend and there were some interesting findings made during the day. Here are the liberos who made a difference on the backcourt:
Gabrielle Kennedy
Gabrielle Kennedy
Kennedy was the libero for tournament winners Houston Skyline 17 Black, who took the title with a campaign of six victories. A very technical player, she handled her passing and defensive duties extremely well, giving the team a lot of solidness on the backcourt. Kennedy also did a good job of covering her hitters and setting in transition when she had to. The libero also made a major impact from the service line, especially in the match against KVA 17 Nike, when she had a very long run.
Kaleah Lee
Kaleah Lee
Although her team KVA 17 Nike dropped both of its matches to rank 13th, Lee did a solid job for them on the backcourt. She was really productive when playing defense and got to make several impressive digs, controlling hard-driven swings that went her way. Because of her excellent reading of the game, Lee split time between the middle and the left back positions and was very active on both. A lefty, she also had good moments at the service line.
Sofia Deuel
Sofia Deuel
Deuel was one of the players who led Katy United 17 Molten to a strong second-place finish with five wins and just one loss. The libero gave the team a lot of stability in the backcourt with her technical game. Deuel did a great job when playing defense, using her quickness to get to difficult balls and her ball control to keep them in play. She also helped the team score with her tough serving, often getting opponents out of system.
With Schroeder at libero, The Woodlands Skyline 16 Black ranked third in the event with four wins and one loss. She was very active on the backcourt and generated several transition opportunities for her team with her strong defense at the left back position. Schroeder’s excellent ball control also appeared when she worked in serve-receive as she was always precise and reliable. The libero, who played with great confidence, also did a very good job when she had to set in transition.
Highlights
Chapman played libero for Houston Skyline 16 Black and helped the team finish third with four wins and one loss. A highly technical player, she’s one to get the job done efficiently and consistently, without drawing too much attention to herself. Chapman is always where the team needs her to be and thrives for her reliability, taking control of the court in serve-receive and also playing a major role on defense. The libero also serves very well and contributes with her quickness to recover balls on the back.
Highlights
Christy Garza
Christy Garza
Garza and her team SA Empite 17 Select got just one win in three matches to rank ninth in the event. The libero played with great energy on the backcourt and was one of the standouts on the team. Garza covered a lot of ground in serve-receive and did a solid job with her passing, keeping the team in system. She also displayed a very positive attitude on the court, communicating with her teammates and keeping the team engaged.