Lone Star Regionals: 16s – Standout Liberos
In this article:
The George R. Brown Convention Center, in downtown Houston, was packed last weekend as it hosted one of the most anticipated tournaments in the club volleyball season for Texas players, the Lone Star Regionals. With almost 600 teams entered to…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe George R. Brown Convention Center, in downtown Houston, was packed last weekend as it hosted one of the most anticipated tournaments in the club volleyball season for Texas players, the Lone Star Regionals.
With almost 600 teams entered to compete in the 12 divisions, the tournament offered another opportunity for clubs to qualify for the upcoming Girls Junior National Championship and attracted competitors from all over the Lone Star State.
Prep Dig was in attendance on Saturday, when we got to watch 12 of the 54 teams that competed in the 16 Bid division. We’ll now use the week to highlight the ones that stood out with their play, this time focusing on the liberos and defensive specialists who controlled the backcourt for their teams:
Reece was part of the TAV Houston 16 Adidas team that dominated the division, going undefeated with seven wins and earning the big. She was as active as usual on the backcourt and got several touches when playing defense at the left back position. Combining her outstanding positioning, incredible agility and superior ball control, she was able to generate several transition plays for her team. Reece also did very well when she had to set in transition and had good moments at the service line, going on a long serving run against Texas United 16 Red.
Highlights
Carpenter and her team STVA 16 Mizuno the defensive stability it needed to produce a solid campaign in the division, getting six wins and a loss and earning the bid. She was extremely reliable on the backcourt and her presence helped keep the team in system against tough opponents. A very technical and efficient player, Carpenter covered a lot of ground in serve-receive, at times handling half of the court herself. She also displayed impressive solidness when playing defense, using her ball control to get many digs.
Highlights
Moriah Poe
Moriah Poe
Poe and her Katy United 16 Adidas teammates earned a bid to the 17 Liberty division with a campaign of three wins and four losses last weekend. The libero was one of the team’s standouts, displaying great control of the backcourt and tremendous efficiency in her game. Poe had a big role in the team’s serve-receive system and delivered with very few mistakes, using her ball control to send precise passes to the setter. She also impressed with her ability to control hard-driven swings when playing defense at the left back position and was very accurate with her setting, on some occasions using her hands to set teammates up at the net.
Danica Puepke
Danica Puepke
With Puepke at libero, Austin Skyline 16 Black had ups and downs during the weekend, getting two wins and three losses. The libero was impressive with her excellent ball control and made some really strong plays while playing defense at the left back position. Her passing was also very solid and Puepke was also very efficient when she had to set in transition. The libero had great success with her serving too, firing aces and getting opponents out of system with her floaters.
While her Valley Venom – 161 Red team was shorthanded and didn’t have much success over the weekend, dropping all five matches they played, Trevino managed to keep her usual high level on the backcourt. The libero didn’t make things easier for those trying to score on her, playing with great energy and using her quickness and ball control to get digs. Trevino was also very consistent with her passing, covering a large area of the court with great efficiency.