Show Me Qualifier: Five Texas Outsides to Watch
In this article:
Bid season continues at full pace in the club volleyball season and week in and week out, teams from everywhere in the US fly over the country to compete in National Qualifiers with the goal of booking a spot at…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingBid season continues at full pace in the club volleyball season and week in and week out, teams from everywhere in the US fly over the country to compete in National Qualifiers with the goal of booking a spot at June’s USA Volleyball Girls National Championship.
This week, the destination of many teams will be Kansas City, Missouri, where the first of two weekends of the traditional ASICS Show Me Qualifier will take place from Friday to Sunday – 731 teams are entered to compete in the ten divisions in the 15s, 16s and 17s age group.
Texas teams will, of course, also make the trip North to fight for their spots and, as we’ve been doing with every major Qualifier, we’ll highlight some of the top prospects of the Lone Star State that will be on the court over the weekend. These outside hitters will have major roles with their teams:
Sloane Kennedy
Sloane Kennedy
Kennedy will be in action with Flyers 15 USA – Andy in the 15 Open division this weekend. A long and athletic offensive player, she’s one of the team’s main scoring options and typically responds well, putting the ball down with great consistency. Kennedy, who also plays basketball at the high school level, uses her length very well to beat blockers and has a variety of shots in her arsenal. She swings well from the left and the right and is impressively efficient in out-of-system plays, as she looks for deep corner shots and tips and roll shots that fall right in front of defenders.
Ostransky will be at the pin as her team NRG VBC 15 AMPD Navy battles in the 15 USA division. She’s not extremely tall, but gets off the floor well and makes good choices with her shot selection. Because of her excellent vertical, Ostransky is able to wait until the very last second before making contact with the ball on offense, which often gives her the edge over blockers and defenders. The outside hitter also has solid ball control and gets the job done with great efficiency on the backcourt.
Highlights
Hutchins will be a key player for Roots 16-1 Green as they compete in the 16 USA division. A pin hitter with excellent physical and technical tools, she has the skills to score at whatever level her team needs her to and will be the one getting the ball when matches are on the line. Because of how explosive and intelligent she is, Hutchins is very difficult to stop because basically every option is available for her when she goes up to swing. The pin hitter is also very strong on the backcourt, passing and playing defense at a high level.
Highlights
Lotspeich will be with TAV Houston 16 Adidas as they compete in the 16 Open division. Her team has a lot of interesting options at the pin and, because of that, she has been spending some time on the right this season, with great success. Although Lotspeich is a little bit undersized, she still has what it takes to offer massive contributions to the team on both sides of the ball. She gets off the floor very well, has a very quick right arm and is extremely intelligent with her shot selection. Her game on the backcourt is probably even stronger as Lotspeich has excellent ball control and is very quick with her movement.
Highlights
Guevara and her Drive Nation – 17 Black team are entered in the 17 USA division this week in Kansas City. She has a great all-around game, which allows her to contribute in many areas of the game, and is a central piece in the team’s playing system. Guevara is very confident and productive on the backcourt, passing at a high level and getting nice stops on defense. Offensively, she thrives with her ability to get off the floor and her vision, which allows her to pick the right shots over and over again.