Cross Court Classic: 15 Open – Setters
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. Let’s begin with the setters:
Aviana Contreras
Aviana Contreras
Contreras’ efficient game pushed her team SA Elite 151 Navy to win the division with five victories. The setter ran the team’s offense extremely well, making good use of her attacking options and creating numerous difficulties for opponents trying to stop them. Contreras kept the team at a fast pace as much as she could, feeding her middles a lot and setting quick balls to both pins as well. The setter was also very impactful on the backcourt, consistently getting opponents out of system with her strong floater and using her ball control to make successful defensive action at the right back position.
Karmen O’Quinn
Karmen O’Quinn
O’Quinn was one of the setters of the Houston Stellar 15 Elite team that finished second with a campaign of four wins and one loss. A tenacious playmaker, she used her hitters to the fullest of their potential, sharing the ball around extremely well and remaining precise regardless of the situation. A very technical player, O’Quinn also displayed great mental toughness, making good decisions even when under pressure. The setter also did a very good job on defense, touching a lot of balls at the right back position.
Kristina Rodriguez
Kristina Rodriguez
With Rodriguez at setter, CC Force 151 Crossfire secured a solid fourth-place finish, with two wins and three losses. The setter was very consistent with her locations and used her offensive options extremely well, especially her middles. A lefty, Rodriguez also used her size to be a threat on setter dumps and managed to remain precise even when dealing with passes off the net. Her tricky floaters were an important weapon to her team too.
Emersyn Scheel
Emersyn Scheel
Scheel was with the SA Chiefs 15 Black team that ranked seventh with two wins and three losses. The setter did a good job in regards to giving her main hitters a good opportunity to score by moving them around and having them swing in different positions. A very technical player, Scheel was extremely precise and moved well on the court, getting to passes off the net on time to keep the team in system. She also played an important leadership role with the team, encouraging her teammates and remaining positive in difficult moments.