Tour of Texas #2: 15 Invitational – Outsides
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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’s a serious level of talent in this group and we’ll now feature the prospects that stood out during the day.
These outside hitters were on fire:
Gentry Barker Gentry Barker 5'10" | OH Lovejoy | 2027 State TX
Gentry Barker Gentry Barker 5'10" | OH Lovejoy | 2027 State TX
Barker played a major role in TAV 15 Black Jason’s victory in the division, helping the team end the weekend with six wins and one loss. The outside hitter was one of the key pieces of the team, contributing on both sides of the ball with her all-around game. Also a very skilled beach volleyball player, she handled her backcourt duties extremely well, passing and playing defense at a very high level. Barker’s offensive game at the net was a joy to watch because of how smart she was with her shot selection, also picking the right options to avoid the block and put the ball down. Despite not being a six-footer, she plays much taller than that, displaying great explosiveness in offensive approach and jump and hitting the ball ferociously.
Norton and her team Excel 15 National Red had a remarkable run over the weekend, getting a second-place finish with five wins and two losses. She was among the top offensive players in the tournament, displaying an impressive ability to consistently put the ball down. Norton is very tall and makes great use of her length at the net, but doesn’t get limited to her power to score, having displayed the ability to hit sets in different locations and to engage in combination plays. The outside hitter also did a very good job defensively, showcasing impressive ball control, and had good serving runs with her tough floater.
Highlights
Grace Pinegar Grace Pinegar 6'1" | OH Plano East | 2027 State TX
Grace Pinegar Grace Pinegar 6'1" | OH Plano East | 2027 State TX
With Pinegar in one of the outside hitter spots, Dallas Skyline 15 Royal had a nearly perfect weekend, getting five wins and one loss to rank third. A long and technical player, she played consistently throughout the day, giving the team a lot of stability. Pinegar displayed a very interesting and efficient offensive game, making contact with the ball at a very high point and hitting it towards the end line, out of reach for defenders – she did that in a variety of different ways. The outside hitter also played a big role in the team’s serve-receive system and got a lot of touches on defense.
Jordan Morrow Jordan Morrow 5'9" | OH Atascocita | 2027 State TX
Jordan Morrow Jordan Morrow 5'9" | OH Atascocita | 2027 State TX
Morrow had a very good day, helping her team Houston Skyline 15 Royal finish in the top three with four wins and two losses. She was targeted by opponents in serve-receive on some occasions and responded well, keeping the team in system with her passing. Her defense was also an asset as she generated some transition opportunities with her digs. Morrow played very aggressively at the net, getting off the floor well and swinging with power. She displayed great vision to score with tips and roll shots when out of system and was very efficient in big moments, dealing well with pressure.
Glenn’s Madfrog 15’s N Green team had two wins and three losses, finishing fifth. She split time at the outside hitter spots with Kaylie Davis Kaylie Davis 6’0″ | OH Independence | 2027 TX and Audree Hughes Audree Hughes 6’0″ | OH Southlake Carroll | 2027 State TX and was probably the most consistent of the three over the course of the day. Glenn’s game is very complete, something she developed while playing on the sand, and makes the entire team better. She has excellent ball control and can produce at a high level on passing and defense. Glenn also gets off the floor extremely well and can swing with power, while also making good decisions, up at the net.
Randle and her SA Juniors 15 Adidas teammates settled for fifth with two wins and three losses in the event. The long and athletic outside hitter displayed tremendous potential at the net, emerging as the team’s most viable and most used scoring option. Randle used her length well at the net and had great variation in her swings, putting the ball down consistently and making very few errors hitting from the left and the right. The outside hitter also had a solid blocking presence at the net, using her long arms to put pressure on opposing hitters. She played only the net rotations and did fine when she had to pass.
Highlights
Corina Barrera
Corina Barrera
Barrera was with the STVA 15 Mizuno team that got five wins and one loss to rank ninth. She was a big part of their game, displaying a solid all-around game and being involved in key places at the net and on the backcourt. Barrera was solid with her passing, handling most serves that went her way well and keeping the team in system. Her offensive game was also impressive as she got off the floor well and was very smart to beat the block. She has a very quick arm and is capable of making last-second decisions when up in the air, turning her body in one direction and hitting in another to fool the block.
Hudgins secured an 11th-place finish with her Austin Skyline 15 Royal team, which got three wins and three losses. A 6’4″ outside hitter, she was really difficult to stop offensively and was the team’s go-to scoring option during the day. Despite her ability to hit over the top of blockers, Hudgins displayed some great versatility at the net, scoring at a great rate off of a quicker set at the pin. She had tremendous power in her swings and was very efficient on the left and the right.