Cross Court Classic: 15 Open – Liberos
It was a busy weekend of club volleyball in Houston as the city hosted the 2024 edition of the Nike Cross Court Classic, one of the most anticipated and biggest tournaments of the season, from March 9-10. Almost 700 teams…
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Continue ReadingIt was a busy weekend of club volleyball in Houston as the city hosted the 2024 edition of the Nike Cross Court Classic, one of the most anticipated and biggest tournaments of the season, from March 9-10.
Almost 700 teams took the courts at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in downtown, competing for two days in one of the 18 divisions of the tournament.
Prep Dig was in attendance on Saturday, when we got to watch the pool play matches of the event. One of the divisions we covered was 15 Open, which featured eight teams, coming from several different regions of Texas. Some players stood out to us for their performances and we’re taking the week to report on them. Here are the liberos that left a strong impression:
Emery Parham
Emery Parham
Parham was very solid on the backcourt for the Houston Stellar 15 Elite team that ranked second with four wins and one loss. The libero gave the team a lot of stability with her passing, keeping them in system and covering a lot of ground. A very technical and intelligent player, Parham was very active defensively, getting in the right spots to make plays and displaying excellent ball control in her actions. The libero also served very well and was precise and consistent when she had to set in transition plays.
Lily Sustaita
Lily Sustaita
Sustaita was the libero of the CC Force 151 Crossfire team that finished fourth with two wins and three losses. She was very active on the backcourt and got an impressive amount of touches when playing defense, be it with her own digs or by recovered balls touched by her teammates. Very calm and relaxed on the court, Sustaita also did a nice job with her passing, covering a lot of ground and having a lot of success with her actions. The libero was also very accurate with her transition sets, putting her hitters in a solid position to score.
Danika Martinez
Danika Martinez
Martinez was the starting libero for the Valley Venom – 151 Red team that was fifth with three wins and two losses. She impressed with her high-energy game, chasing balls and touching several of them on defense. A solid passer, the libero also displayed a very positive attitude on the court, constantly encouraging her teammates. Martinez also did a very good job with her passing and stepped up to set in transition when she had to.
Katie Falcone
Katie Falcone
A new face with the club, Falcone played libero for the Alamo 15 Elite team that got a sixth-place finish with one win and four losses. Despite her team’s inconsistent showing, the libero was a bright spot for them, playing with great energy and efficiency on the back. Very quick and technical, she was extremely productive when playing defense and also covered a lot of ground in serve-receive. Falcone also made an impact from the service line with her tough floaters and was solid when setting in transition.