Tour of Texas Stop 2 Roundtable – Coach Mike DZ’s Version Vol 1
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One of the most anticipated series of tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Tour of Texas. It is because of all of the talent that will be under one roof for two stops. I was in…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most anticipated series of tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Tour of Texas. It is because of all of the talent that will be under one roof for two stops. I was in person for the first stop and the gym was electric for two days. It was cut short due to bad weather but still showcased a lot of great volleyball. Stop two will be held in Houston from February 10-11th. Prep Dig has three scouts who will be covering this wonderful event. 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. Let’s “Dig” in to my take.
17 Invitational
What Teams Will Be Contending For a Championship?
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. This age group is riddled with talent that will play at the next level. Although there has been a lot of movement amongst rosters, these teams are working on their lineups to get ready for Qualifier season. Stop number one really showed me a lot and I cannot wait to see what Stop number two has in store.
In my opinion, Dallas Skyline 17 Royal has been playing on a whole different level than in years past. They have retooled their lineup and are really playing well together. 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. With outsides like Sophia Thornburg Sophia Thornburg 6'3" | OH Ursuline Academy | 2025 State TX , Isabella Ocampo Isabella Ocampo 5'11" | OH Highland Park | 2025 State #146 Nation TX and Morgan Inemer Morgan Inemer 6'1" | OH Byron Nelson | 2025 State TX ready to keep the heat on the opposition from the left side, it will be very difficult to slow them down. The one aspect that I like the most about their play was how setters Sophia Wei Sophia Wei 5'8" | S Plano West | 2025 State TX and Taylor Cook Taylor Cook 5'11" | S Prestonwood Christian Academy | 2025 State #87 Nation TX were feeding the middles Katelynn Sims and Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Zoe Gillen-Malveaux 6'3" | MB Greenhill | 2025 State #72 Nation TX in transition. This will be the ultimate factor of why I think they will be too fast of an offense for teams to stop them. If their ball control can give a lot of “three passes” to the setters, its over for the competition.
Who forgot that Alamo 17 Premier won the Open division at nationals a few years ago? I certainly haven’t. 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. 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. With All-World outside Megan Fitch Megan Fitch 6'1" | OH Cornerstone Christian | 2025 State #43 Nation TX on the court, anything is possible. This young lady is a threat from any location on the court at any time. Setters Kaia Thiele Kaia Thiele 5'11" | S Cornerstone Christian | 2025 State TX and Emma Gonzalez Emma Gonzalez 5'5" | S Claudia Taylor Johnson | 2025 State TX are both battle tested and hard nosed ballers who won’t back down from anyone. I love how they fight and play defense. Libero Brooklyn Vigil Brooklyn Vigil 5'6" | DS/L Harlan | 2025 State TX is one of the best in the business in the back row and has ball control for days. She is highly skilled on the defensive end and creates some amazing angles with her platform. Right side Macey Hughes Macey Hughes 6'1" | RS Cornerstone Christian | 2025 State TX is as lethal as can be at the net on the offensive end. She has a cannon that must be accounted for in game plans from opposing coaches.
TAV 17 Black Jon is just getting started but cannot be overlooked. With Harper Hall Harper Hall 5'8" | S Highland Park | 2024 State TX running the show, this team is in great hands, literally and figuratively. She is a fighter who has supreme confidence in her ability to hit the target with the ball. Liberos Sarah Mendoza Sarah Mendoza 5'7" | DS/L Colleyville Heritage | 2025 State TX and Madison Winkler Madison Winkler 5'5" | DS/L Keller | 2025 State TX can flat out dig and pass the rock! They are both ready and willing to dive into the crowd if need be to keep the ball in play. Pins like Alex Richter Alex Richter 6'2" | MB Highland Park | 2025 State TX , Olivia Wayne Olivia Wayne 6'3" | MB Hockaday | 2025 State #149 Nation TX , Lauryn Mack Lauryn Mack 5'11" | OH Aledo | 2025 State #111 Nation TX and Sydnee Peterson Sydnee Peterson 5'10" | RS Byron Nelson | 2025 State TX are way too talented scoring kills from all over the court. I really like how fast middles Taryn Morris Taryn Morris 6'3" | MB Braswell | 2025 State TX and Shelby Burriss Shelby Burriss 6'1" | MB Lovejoy | 2025 State TX are patrolling the net, transitioning to their touch point, and driving toward their setters this season. Their timing is the main reason why they are so lethal at the net both defensively and offensively. This team will be ready to contend for the title on Sunday.
What Non-Power Pool Teams Could Sneak Up On People?
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. With one of the hardest hitting left sides in the age group, Kennedi Rogers Kennedi Rogers 5'10" | OH Ridge Point | 2025 State #57 Nation TX , anything is possible. When she connects on the ball, I often feel sorry for the ball as it gets punished by her anvil of a right hand. 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. Setters Caelyn Dumas Caelyn Dumas 5'10" | S Tompkins | 2025 State TX and Simone Robinson Simone Robinson 5'9" | S Shadow Creek | 2026 State TX both really know how to deliver the rock to all of their hitters. They do such a great job of moving the ball around and feeding the middles. Speaking of middles, Kimanni Rugley Kimanni Rugley 6'0" | MB Pearland | 2025 State TX is a show-stopper who can get up in a hurry to hit and block. She can fly high and dominate at times, so every team must be aware of what she brings to the table. Right side Jordyn Sims Jordyn Sims 6'3" | RS Friendswood | 2025 State TX has gotten better and better each year and is ready for the big time this season. She can bring the heat on the opposite side to spread the attack out really well. Look for this squad to put together a good run at the Gold bracket on Sunday.
San 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 Mya Allen Mya Allen 5'11" | OH Reagan | 2025 State #148 Nation TX is one of the best hitters in this age group and plays with amazing confidence. Her and fellow outside Isabella Andrews Isabella Andrews 5'11" | OH Samuel Clemens - Schertz TX | 2025 State TX are ready and willing to compete with anyone. They are never afraid of any challenge. Thalia Yancey Thalia Yancey 5'11" | OH Harlan | 2025 State TX is a beast at the net. Setters Isabella De La Rosa Isabella De La Rosa 5'6" | S Harlan | 2025 State TX loves to fight on the volleyball court and plays some of the best defense out of right back. Zariah McFadden Zariah McFadden 6'0" | OH Madison | 2025 TX is someone who I noticed in the last stop and has earned a lot of my attention. Libero Anna Arceneaux Anna Arceneaux 5'6" | DS/L Antonian College Preparatory | 2025 State TX 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.
Who are some big time players who will be having a huge impact on the tournament?
Addison Gaido Addison Gaido 6'5" | RS Georgetown | 2025 State #45 Nation TX is someone who deserves praise. She is a very lethal pin who is learning so much about different aspects of the game. The Texas commit can do it all on the court for Austin Skyline 17 Royal and cannot be overlooked. Outside hitter Taylor Gaines Taylor Gaines 6'0" | OH Liberty Hill | 2025 State TX is on a new team and adds so much more firepower to an already gifted bunch of attackers. By putting her on Austin Juniors 17 Adidas, you gave them a bigger and stronger machine gun to unleash on opponents. She is a huge difference-maker on a team who medaled last season at nationals. Takyla Brown Takyla Brown 5'9" | S Weiss | 2025 State #150 Nation TX has the pinpoint accurate skills put the ball on a perfect “tee” for her to unload all of her ammo. Ava Steffe Ava Steffe 6'1" | RS Memorial | 2025 State TX is an underrated pin who often gets overlooked, but this kid can score the rock. She has had an immediate impact since moving over to the right side. Her efficient scoring on the opposite position is key for Madfrog 17 National Green to keep opponents guessing on where the attack will come from. Look for her to have a big tournament this weekend.
As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at Michael@prepdig.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!