Tour of Texas Stop 2 Roundtable – Coach Mike DZ’s Version Vol 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most anticipated series of tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Tour of Texas. &nbsp;It is because of all of the talent that will be under one roof for two stops.&nbsp; I was in person for the first stop and the gym was electric for two days.&nbsp; It was cut short due to bad weather but still showcased a lot of great volleyball.&nbsp; Stop two will be held in Houston from February 10-11^th.&nbsp; Prep Dig has three scouts who will be covering this wonderful event.&nbsp; I will be joining Mallori Howington and Guilherme Torres covering the tourney and we will each be offering our perspective on teams and players to watch out for during the weekend.&nbsp; Let's “Dig” in to my take.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>17 Invitational</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Teams Will Be Contending For a Championship?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have had a blast getting to know this age group really well over the last three years and they never cease to amaze me at how well they perform on the court.&nbsp; This age group is riddled with talent that will play at the next level.&nbsp; Although there has been a lot of movement amongst rosters, these teams are working on their lineups to get ready for Qualifier season. Stop&nbsp; number one really showed me a lot and I cannot wait to see what Stop number two has in store.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In my opinion, Dallas Skyline 17 Royal has been playing on a whole different level than in years past.&nbsp; They have retooled their lineup and are really playing well together.&nbsp; I wrote an article on them already after stop one in Dallas after watching them go undefeated and earn their way to the power pools for stop two.&nbsp; With outsides like [player_tooltip player_id='179921' first='Sophia' last='Thornburg'], [player_tooltip player_id='179568' first='Isabella' last='Ocampo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='525231' first='Morgan' last='Inemer'] ready to keep the heat on the opposition from the left side, it will be very difficult to slow them down.&nbsp; The one aspect that I like the most about their play was how setters [player_tooltip player_id='227874' first='Sophia' last='Wei'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180178' first='Taylor' last='Cook'] were feeding the middles Katelynn Sims and [player_tooltip player_id='179965' first='Zoe' last='Gillen-Malveaux'] in transition.&nbsp; This will be the ultimate factor of why I think they will be too fast of an offense for teams to stop them.&nbsp; If their ball control can give a lot of “three passes” to the setters, its over for the competition.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who forgot that Alamo 17 Premier won the Open division at nationals a few years ago?&nbsp; I certainly haven't.&nbsp; Last season they battled some big injuries which slowed their repeat journey down, but this year they are healthy and back to showing everyone just how good they are.&nbsp; They only lost one close three-setter last Tour stop to a very hot Club V team from Utah and that match could have gone either way.&nbsp; With All-World outside [player_tooltip player_id='182110' first='Megan' last='Fitch'] on the court, anything is possible.&nbsp; This young lady is a threat from any location on the court at any time.&nbsp; Setters [player_tooltip player_id='212733' first='Kaia' last='Thiele'] and [player_tooltip player_id='212736' first='Emma' last='Gonzalez'] are both battle tested and hard nosed ballers who won't back down from anyone.&nbsp; I love how they fight and play defense.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='212735' first='Brooklyn' last='Vigil'] is one of the best in the business in the back row and has ball control for days.&nbsp; She is highly skilled on the defensive end and creates some amazing angles with her platform.&nbsp; Right side [player_tooltip player_id='161817' first='Macey' last='Hughes'] is as lethal as can be at the net on the offensive end.&nbsp; She has a cannon that must be accounted for in game plans from opposing coaches.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TAV 17 Black Jon is just getting started but cannot be overlooked.&nbsp; With [player_tooltip player_id='197072' first='Harper' last='Hall'] running the show, this team is in great hands, literally and figuratively.&nbsp; She is a fighter who has supreme confidence in her ability to hit the target with the ball.&nbsp; Liberos [player_tooltip player_id='180168' first='Sarah' last='Mendoza'] and [player_tooltip player_id='178804' first='Madison' last='Winkler'] can flat out dig and pass the rock!&nbsp; They are both ready and willing to dive into the crowd if need be to keep the ball in play.&nbsp; Pins like [player_tooltip player_id='180179' first='Alex' last='Richter'], [player_tooltip player_id='179916' first='Olivia' last='Wayne'], [player_tooltip player_id='180172' first='Lauryn' last='Mack'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180462' first='Sydnee' last='Peterson'] are way too talented scoring kills from all over the court.&nbsp; I really like how fast middles [player_tooltip player_id='180163' first='Taryn' last='Morris'] and [player_tooltip player_id='179902' first='Shelby' last='Burriss'] are patrolling the net, transitioning to their touch point, and driving toward their setters this season.&nbsp; Their timing is the main reason why they are so lethal at the net both defensively and offensively.&nbsp; This team will be ready to contend for the title on Sunday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Non-Power Pool Teams Could Sneak Up On People?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AVA of Texas 17 Adidas can put together a run of competitiveness that can easily lead to a first place finish of Challenge Pool 1, which will likely make their run to the Gold bracket easier.&nbsp; With one of the hardest hitting left sides in the age group, [player_tooltip player_id='212725' first='Kennedi' last='Rogers'], anything is possible.&nbsp; When she connects on the ball, I often feel sorry for the ball as it gets punished by her anvil of a right hand. &nbsp;This immense power she brings to every attack has to be blocked with ultimate precision in order to slow her down. If not, it will likely lead to a tool or a hard driven kill.&nbsp; Setters [player_tooltip player_id='203987' first='Caelyn' last='Dumas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='218999' first='Simone' last='Robinson'] both really know how to deliver the rock to all of their hitters.&nbsp; They do such a great job of moving the ball around and feeding the middles.&nbsp; Speaking of middles, [player_tooltip player_id='212737' first='Kimanni' last='Rugley'] is a show-stopper who can get up in a hurry to hit and block.&nbsp; She can fly high and dominate at times, so every team must be aware of what she brings to the table.&nbsp; Right side [player_tooltip player_id='181381' first='Jordyn' last='Sims'] has gotten better and better each year and is ready for the big time this season.&nbsp; She can bring the heat on the opposite side to spread the attack out really well.&nbsp; Look for this squad to put together a good run at the Gold bracket on Sunday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='431254' first='San' last='Antonio Juniors'] 17 Adidas showed just how strong they are when they competed at a high level and gave everyone fits during the Tour Stop 1 in Dallas a few weeks ago.  High-Flying outside [player_tooltip player_id='212726' first='Mya' last='Allen'] is one of the best hitters in this age group and plays with amazing confidence.  Her and fellow outside [player_tooltip player_id='197275' first='Isabella' last='Andrews'] are ready and willing to compete with anyone.  They are never afraid of any challenge.  [player_tooltip player_id='182108' first='Thalia' last='Yancey'] is a beast at the net.  Setters [player_tooltip player_id='212741' first='Isabella' last='De La Rosa'] loves to fight on the volleyball court and plays some of the best defense out of right back.  [player_tooltip player_id='438589' first='Zariah' last='McFadden'] is someone who I noticed in the last stop and has earned a lot of my attention.  Libero [player_tooltip player_id='179885' first='Anna' last='Arceneaux'] deserves a lot of credit for keeping this team in every match. She does all of the dirty work and never complains or backs down from a challenge.  I think this team has the grit and fortitude to come out of Challenge Pool 2 in first place to help them get to the Gold bracket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who are some big time players who will be having a huge impact on the tournament?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='179899' first='Addison' last='Gaido'] is someone who deserves praise.&nbsp; She is a very lethal pin who is learning so much about different aspects of the game.&nbsp; The Texas commit can do it all on the court for Austin Skyline 17 Royal and cannot be overlooked.&nbsp; Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='314728' first='Taylor' last='Gaines'] is on a new team and adds so much more firepower to an already gifted bunch of attackers.&nbsp; By putting her on Austin Juniors 17 Adidas, you gave them a bigger and stronger machine gun to unleash on opponents.&nbsp; She is a huge difference-maker on a team who medaled last season at nationals.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='179918' first='Takyla' last='Brown'] has the pinpoint accurate skills put the ball on a perfect “tee” for her to unload all of her ammo.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='180535' first='Ava' last='Steffe'] is an underrated pin who often gets overlooked, but this kid can score the rock.&nbsp; She has had an immediate impact since moving over to the right side.&nbsp; Her efficient scoring on the opposite position is key for [program_tooltip program_id='431200' first='Madfrog' last=''] 17 National Green to keep opponents guessing on where the attack will come from.&nbsp; Look for her to have a big tournament this weekend.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->