Lone Star Classic Week 3: Five Liberos to Watch
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One of the biggest tournaments held in Texas during this year’s club volleyball season, the 2024 Adidas Lone Star Classic continues in Dallas, entering its third and last weekend of action from Friday to Sunday. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention…
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Continue ReadingOne of the biggest tournaments held in Texas during this year’s club volleyball season, the 2024 Adidas Lone Star Classic continues in Dallas, entering its third and last weekend of action from Friday to Sunday.
The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, in Dallas, will now host nearly 1,000 teams, which are split into ten divisions in the 15s, 16s and 17s age groups, all looking to earn a bid for the upcoming USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship, in July.
Spots in the Open division are the most coveted ones and Texas will have 60 teams battling for them across the three age groups. As the event approaches, let’s highlight some of the top talent of the Lone Star State which will be in action this week.
Stick around if these liberos are on the court:
Ebert is the anchor in the defensive system of her team Madfrog 15’s N Green. A very technical player, she gets the job done with tremendous efficiency on the backcourt, keeping her team in system and generating transition plays for them. She’s tall, but also extremely agile and that allows her to get to many balls on defense without having to dive or fully stretch. Ebert is very reliable with her passing and does many of the things required from a libero, such as covering her hitters and setting in transition, extremely well.
Howard is the starting libero in her Premier 15 Black team. Very quick and dynamic, she’s really difficult to beat when playing defense at the left back position because she reads the game extremely well and is always ready to go for the ball when it goes into her zone. Howard is very efficient in how she makes contact with the ball too, always making the extra effort to have her body behind it to avoid shanking. The libero serves well too and is very disciplined with her positioning and defensive duties.
Highlights
Splitting playing time with Jenna Thedford Jenna Thedford 5’8″ | DS/L Dawson | 2026 State TX , Moszkowicz gives her team Houston Skyline 16 Royal tremendous stability on the backcourt. She’s very technical and intelligent, but more than flashy plays, what sets her apart is her ability to remain consistently productive all day long. Moszkowicz does a very good job in serve-receive, covering a lot of ground and freeing her hitters up, and also gets several stops playing defense at the left back position. The libero also communicates very well, helping keep things organized in the defensive system.
Highlights
A new face with Dallas Skyline 17 Royal this season, Smotherman has been contributing immensely to their defensive efficiency. Keeping the middles involved is a big part of the team’s offense and the libero’s efforts in serve-receive allow that option is always on the table for them. Smotherman is also very agile when playing defense and, because of that and her reading of the game, she’s in charge of picking up any tips in the center of the court, a task she performs with great efficiency. The libero is also very vocal with her leadership, keeping the team engaged and helping make defensive adjustments.
Marissa Juarez
Marissa Juarez
Juarez is the libero for Flyers 17 USA-John. She has excellent ball control and plays a major role in the team’s defensive system, covering the left back spot with great efficiency and consistency. Juarez is an expert in overhead digs and can control even the hardest-driven swings with her toes. The libero also contributes from the service line, sending a tough floater across the net that typically gets opponents out of system.