Tour of Texas #2: 15 Invitational – All-Tournament Team
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One of the most traditional and competitive club volleyball tournaments in the Lone Star State, the Tour of Texas had its second stop of the season this past weekend in Houston, bringing the top talent of the region to H-Town…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most traditional and competitive club volleyball tournaments in the Lone Star State, the Tour of Texas had its second stop of the season this past weekend in Houston, bringing the top talent of the region to H-Town for two days of action.
It was a great opportunity to see the elite of the sport in Texas battling it out and Prep Dig was at the Katy United facility on Sunday, where we got to watch all 20 teams that competed in the 15 Invitational division in action. There was a serious level of talent in this group and we’ve spent the week featuring the prospects that stood out during the day.
Now it’s time we reveal our All-Tournament Team selections for the division:
Brynn Stephens Brynn Stephens 6'2" | S Rock Hill | 2027 TX
Brynn Stephens Brynn Stephens 6'2" | S Rock Hill | 2027 TX
Stephens was one of the main reasons for TAV 15 Black Jason’s victory in the division as her strong and consistent play kept the team in a good rhythm all day. Very technical and intelligent, she made the most of the talented group of hitters she had to work with, sharing the ball around and moving players to make things harder for blockers and defenders across the net. Her decision-making was impeccable during the day and it gave the impression to those watching that the game simply flows out of her hands. Stephens was also a factor at the net, having a good blocking presence with her 6’2″ frame, besides contributing on the backcourt with tough serving and solid defense.
Lucy Holmes
Lucy Holmes
There were a handful of interesting right side hitters on the court on Sunday, but Dallas Skyline 15 Royal’s Holmes set herself apart from the others because of how consistent she was. You had to watch her for a long time to see her make an offensive error and that shows that both her technique and her shot selection were on point during the event. Holmes never looked worried when she went up to swing and, even when out of system or with a big block in front of her, she would always find a solution. Being a six-footer certainly helped, but having as many offensive shots as she did and knowing how to use them were definitely the main reasons for her steady and productive performance.
Gentry Barker Gentry Barker 5'10" | OH Lovejoy | 2027 State TX
Gentry Barker Gentry Barker 5'10" | OH Lovejoy | 2027 State TX
Barker was probably the best player on the best team of the event and she played a major role in TAV 15 Black Jason’s triumph in the division. It’s impressive how complete and efficient her game is at such a young age as there’s nothing she can’t do on the court. A standout beach player, Barker is very clean on the ball and that made of her defensive game one of the most refined among all outside hitters in the event. She was very explosive offensively and hit the ball with so much power on certain occasions that it popped really loud. Her success went well beyond power, though, as the main key to it was how well she saw what was going on across the net and how she reacted to it.
If there was a player who could rival Barker’s offensive efficiency on Sunday it was certainly Excel 15 National Red’s Norton. She had a huge offensive role with her team and proved to be more than capable of fulfilling it, being set quite often and remaining consistently productive during the day. One of the things that stood out in her offense, besides her 6’3″ frame, was how versatile Norton was as she got to hit from several different locations, including the backcourt, and had the setter run several combination plays for her. Unlike most players of her age who are as tall as she is, the outside hitter also displayed a solid backcourt game, showing a high level of ball control.
Highlights
Abby Parkinson
Abby Parkinson
Alongside Norton, Parkison was another cornerstone for the second-placed Excel 15 National Red. She was extremely reliable for them in the middle and produced at a good rate on both sides of the ball. Because of her mobility, Parkinson had no trouble getting to pins quickly when blocking and that helped her get several touches above the net, either stuffing opponents or making things easier for the defenders behind her. She also did a good job offensively, scoring at a good rate. Another interesting aspect of Parkison’s game is her leadership as she was typically the one to talk and encourage her teammates when the team was going through difficult moments.
Jacey Carroll Jacey Carroll 6'0" | MB St. John's | 2027 State TX
Jacey Carroll Jacey Carroll 6'0" | MB St. John's | 2027 State TX
Carroll was one of the most impressive players in third-placed Houston Skyline 15 Royal. Playing with great energy in the middle, she was great offensively, swinging with power and precision, and on certain occasions was even the team’s go-to scoring option. Carroll can hit any set in the middle and can also play on the right and that combined with her physicality makes of her a very difficult player to stop at the net. Her blocking was also on point as she moved well at the net and made good moves with her arms.
Austin Skyline 15 Royal’s Blumoff was really impressive with her game on the backcourt. Watching from the sidelines, it was easy to see how well she was reading the block in front of her and sliding from behind it in the last minute to make digs at the left back position. The libero was also brilliant with her quickness and ball control and made some really impressive one-handed digs. Blumoff was also reliable and consistent with her serve-receive efforts, covering a lot of ground and repeatedly delivering the ball to the setter.