Tour of Texas #2: 17 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 earlier this month 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 earlier this month 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 FAST Complex on Saturday, where we got to watch all 20 teams that competed in the 17 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.
With all positions already covered, it’s time we reveal the athletes we picked to form the Prep Dig All-Tournament Team:
O’Brien led Houston Skyline 17 Royal to first place in the division with seven wins and just one set dropped. Her quick thinking made of the team’s offense a very efficient and well-balanced one, which made it very difficult for opponents to stop them. A technical and intelligent setter, O’Brien makes the most of her hitters and that was the case during the event as well. A very strong defensive player, she setter also served well and led the team on the court with her excellent communication.
Morris was with the TAV 17 Black Jon team that finished fifth with two wins and three losses. She stood out as the top right side hitter in the division by using her physical tools extremely well, while also displaying great versatility and a strong all-around game. Morris was very strong offensively, making contact with the ball at a very high point and swinging with tremendous power. She was set on the right, the left and even the right back position and scored at a very high rate. Morris also blocked well on the right and helped in serve-receive on some rotations.
Ocampo played a major role in Dallas Skyline 17 Royal’s successful campaign of five wins and two losses, which got them in second place. An extremely technical player, she stands out for her incredible ball control and was very steady with her passing and defense during the day. Ocampo also did a very good job at the net, using her creative and resourceful game to beat blockers and defenders and put the ball down. She also made a major impact from the service line and her game was extremely consistent throughout the day.
Highlights
Lewis was a key piece in the Houston Skyline 17 Royal team that finished at the top of the standings with seven wins. In a team with several impressively athletic offensive players, her game is at times overlooked, but that wasn’t the case at the Tour of Texas, where her all-around game was clearly pivotal to their success. Lewis’ accurate passing is huge in terms of creating the perfect scenario for the team’s offense to work and she was also a big part of it, hitting with great explosiveness. A very technical player, she also shone on defense and had good serving runs.
Highlights
Gillen-Malveaux was part of the Dallas Skyline 17 Royal team that ranked second with five wins and two losses. A new face with the team this season, she was a difference-maker at the net with her tremendous blocking ability. Gillen-Malveaux was reading the game extremely well and also very quick to aggressively place her long arms above the net to make stops. The middle forced opposing hitters to go around her block, at times sending them directly to defenders or even out of bounds. Her offense was also solid, providing the team with a solid option when in system.
Highlights
With Taylor in the middle, HJV 17 Elite snatched a fifth-place finish with three wins and two losses. The towering middle was extremely effective with her blocking, using her long arms and solid mobility to make plays above the net. When Taylor gets to read the play well and to make it to the pin on time, she’s a truly scary blocker, who can shut down any opponent. Her offense was also consistent during the day and she had great success hitting the slide set.
Third-placed Excel 17 National Red relied a lot on libero Mickenheim to get five wins in their six matches in Houston. With her in control on the backcourt, things ran smoothly for the team during the day as the libero not only got the job done but also positively impacted her teammates with nice energy and encouraging words during matches. Mickenheim’s great technique and ball control were on display all day as she passed with tremendous precision and also got several touches on defense.