Cross Court Classic: 16 Open – All-Tournament Team
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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 16 Open, which featured 14 teams, coming from several different regions of Texas. Some players stood out to us for their performances and we’ve taken the week to report on them. With all positions already covered, it’s time we reveal our All-Tournament Team selection:
Yaneli Rocha Yaneli Rocha 5'4" | S McAllen | 2026 State TX
Yaneli Rocha Yaneli Rocha 5'4" | S McAllen | 2026 State TX
Rocha’s strong performances led her team McAllen Fierce 16-1 to a solid third-place finish with four wins and one loss. The crafty left-handed setter was a big part of their success as her ability to run the team’s offense with excellence put her somewhat undersized hitters in a position to score against much taller opponents. Rocha was very intelligent with her distribution and consistent with her locations. She also scored on setter dumps and caused damage to opponents with her floater.
Kelly’s offensive power helped her team Houston Stellar 16 Elite rank first in the division with six wins. She spent time at both pins and was impressively productive on the right – she’s originally an outside hitter. Kelly made contact with the ball at a very point, used her power to beat blockers and defenders and was very smart with her shot selection. Her offense was also effective from the backcourt as she displayed great efficiency hitting from the middle back position.
Koonsen was a full-time starter for the Houston Stellar team that triumphed in the division with six wins and just one set dropped. Her offense was incredibly consistent throughout the weekend as she made great use of her length and her technical skills to put the ball down. Koonsen was probably the most used hitter on her team and maintained a high level during the event. The pin hitter also contributed with her blocking and was reliable when she had to pass.
Highlights
Peyton LeJeune
Peyton LeJeune
LeJeune pushed her team Texas Fury 16 Legacy to a second-place finish with three wins and three losses. An explosive hitter, she was the focal point of her team’s offense and responded well, scoring at a high volume throughout the weekend. Besides getting off the floor well and using her quick right arm to beat the block, she was also able to put a lot of power into her swings, making things difficult for defenders who tried to stop her. LeJeune also displayed excellent technical skills, which showed in a very strong way in serve-receive.
Emily Parker
Emily Parker
Parker and her CC Force 161 Crossfire team got three wins and two losses, ranking ninth in the tournament. She was one of the tallest players to get on the court in the division and knew how to use her length extremely well at the net. Parker was very difficult to stop because of her high contact point and her team’s setters took full advantage of it, getting her the ball whenever they had a chance. Her blocking was also huge for her team as she not only got several stops, but also forced opponents to hit around her, straight into her team’s defenders.
Tori Leggiero
Tori Leggiero
Leggiero was one of the standouts of the Texas Legacy 16 Elite team that ranked third with four wins and one loss. She was probably the best middle in the event when it came to scoring points as no other player in her position was able to match her power and precision when swinging. Leggiero hit a handful of different sets in the middle and was hard to stop in each of them, using her power to beat blockers and defenders. The middle also did a good job with her blocking, moving well at the net and getting several touches.
Trevino and her team Valley Venom – 161 Red finished ninth with two wins and three losses. The libero was excellent with her duties on the backcourt and gave her team some much-needed defensive stability. Playing defense behind undersized blockers, Trevino was great at reading the game and very quick to get to the ball and make plays. Her ball control made a huge impact on defense and also helped her pass with great accuracy on the few occasions in which she was served.