Tour of Texas #2: 17 Invitational – Liberos
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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’ll now feature the prospects that stood out during the day.
These liberos made a difference for their teams on the backcourt:
Morgan Madison
Morgan Madison
Madison was the starting libero for the Houston Skyline 17 Royal team that dominated the division with seven victories and just a set dropped. She has been in great form since she returned to the courts after an ACL tear and followed up a very strong high school season with an excellent display at the Tour of Texas. Very technical and agile, Madison was extremely productive on the backcourt, getting some impressive digs and generating several transition opportunities for her team. She was also extremely solid in serve-receive, covering a lot of ground and delivering precise passes to her setter.
With Weyand on the backcourt, AP 17 Adidas ranked third in the event, getting three wins and three losses. She was one of the most technical liberos in the event and that reflected in how clean and reliable her game was during the day. Weyand led the team’s serve-receive efforts and was always very efficient with her passing. Also very active on defense, the libero did a very good job when she had to set in transition too.
Highlights
Mickenheim was also of the key pieces of the Excel 17 National Red team that dropped just one of their six matches over the weekend to secure a third-place finish. The libero was very important to her team and took full control of the backcourt, playing with great efficiency and confidence. Mickenheim was one of the best passers on the court all day, using her superior ball control to efficiently handle every serve that went her way. She was also very active on defense and played with a nice energy that positively impacted her teammates.
Highlights
The best libero in Texas according to our Class of 2025 Prep Dig State Rankings, Krueger played as so as her team Austin Skyline 17 Royal snatched a ninth-place finish with three wins and three losses. Her game combined outstanding technical skills and a very high volleyball IQ and that made it very difficult for opponents to put the ball down in her zone. Krueger seemed to always be one step ahead of everyone else and most of the time she was right there, just waiting for the ball on defense. The libero was also extremely solid and consistent in serve-receive.
Blue Anderson
Blue Anderson
Anderson and her Madfrog 15’s N Green teammates got two wins and four losses over the weekend, ranking 11th. She was extremely important for the team in serve-receive, covering a huge portion of the court and delivering great passes, which put the team’s hitters in a good position to score. The libero was also an offensive weapon for her team with her tough floaters, which repeatedly got opponents out of system. Anderson also made some nice digs out of the left back position.
Arceneaux displayed a solid game with the SA Juniors 17 Adidas team that got two wins and three losses in Houston, finishing 15th. She was extremely productive on the defensive side of the game, using her agility and ball control to make plays at the left back position. Arceneaux displayed great ball control to handle hard-driven swings and was also very quick to react and get to tips. The libero also did a very good job setting in transition.
Brooke Lee
Brooke Lee
TAV 17 Blue had to settle for 19th with a campaign of two wins and three losses and Lee was one of their bright spots in Houston. The libero was very solid with her passing and, although not targeted very often by opponents, was very accurate with actions. Lee’s excellent ball control also helped her stand out on defense, keeping some strong swings in play at the left back position. She also worked hard on the backcourt, giving her best to recover shanked passes and digs from teammates.