Middles who stole the show at FAST Warm-Up 16 Open division

The highly-anticipated club volleyball season has arrived in Texas as, since the start of December, club teams all over the Lone Star State have been in action, competing in the first of the many tournaments they will be at over the next six months.   Last weekend, one of the most traditional and competitive events annually held in the Houston area took place, the Fast Warm-Up. Reuniting over 280 teams from Houston, San Antonio, Austin and other areas of the state, the event had 14 divisions and was held across six venues in the region.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/12/fast-warm-up-16-open-photo-gallery/">FAST Warm-Up: 16 Open Division - Photo Gallery</a></li> </ul>   Prep Dig Texas was at the FAST Complex on Saturday, following the first day of action in the 16 Open division, which featured 14 teams. We're taking the week to highlight the players that stood out in the age group, and this time we'll feature the middles who made a difference at the net:    Presley was one of the players who took AP 16 Adidas to first place in the division, with a campaign of six wins and one loss. A very physical player, she was a force at the net for her team, controlling the game and making an impact on both sides of the ball. Her blocking was a difference-maker defensively and forced many opponents to make errors as they tried to avoid them. Presley also thrived offensively, making contact with the ball at a very high point and swinging it with power to score in quick sets. The middle displayed great potential to get opponents out of system with her floaters too.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/IMG_4123.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-732730" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">AP 16 Adidas vs. BCS Skyline 16 Royal</figcaption></figure>    Bailey was among the most interesting pieces in the HJV 16 Premier team that ranked third with four wins and one loss. A physical and intense player, she was particularly important offensively for the team. Bailey gets off the floor very well and has tremendous firepower in her right arm. On some occasions, even if opposing blockers were able to get a touch on her swings, the defenders behind her still couldn't control them. The middle also displayed good stability and energy to score points, getting set frequently and sustaining a strong level.     The towering Theis played a big role in SA Elite 161 Navy's third-place campaign, which saw the team win four and lose one match over the weekend. Very tall and long, she made a major defensive impact with her ability to get blocks at the net. Theis used her length extremely well to take the space away from opposing hitters, but it was her ability to read opponents and react quickly to their actions that made a difference in her blocking. She was also very solid defensively, making contact with the ball at a very high point, and also contributed with her serves.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/SAEliteVB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAEliteVB</a> middle [player_tooltip player_id='524830' first='Olivia' last='Theis'] standing out for her team. Excellent blocker and very solid offensively too. <a href="https://t.co/dJBw1BH0E2">pic.twitter.com/dJBw1BH0E2</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1868075836248871407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a></blockquote>    With Heldund in the middle, AJV 16 Adidas was the seventh-best team in the division, with two wins and three losses. Tall and physical, she made her presence felt on both sides of the game at the net. The most interesting part of Hedlund's game is her mobility and impressive footwork. She can hit every different set in the middle and is particularly good at the slide. Hedlund was also very effective with her blocking, moving quickly to the pins and closing the space with the pin blockers.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">[player_tooltip player_id='443008' first='Audrey' last='Hedlund'] scores off the slide for <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinJuniors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustinJuniors</a> 16 Adidas. A physical middle with great footwork. <a href="https://t.co/g5aTJTW3QC">pic.twitter.com/g5aTJTW3QC</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1868061650768589236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a></blockquote>    Kath helped her team [program_tooltip program_id='462263' first='TAV' last='Houston'] 16 Adidas - Micah secure a ninth-place finish in the tournament, getting two wins and three losses. She was very active at the net and appeared to be everywhere, showing great mobility. Kath got several touches with her blocking, helping the players behind her play defense. Offensively, the middle benefited from her ability to make contact with the ball at a high point to overcome opposing blockers and score.     Baker was one of the standouts in the Roots 16-1 Green team that finished 11th with two wins and three losses. She has the physical tools to make a difference at the net and managed to do it at some moments during the day. Baker is tall, has long arms, gets off the floor well and has great mobility. The middle had some good offensive plays, in which opponents had no answer to her. She also displayed some nice versatility, hitting and blocking in all three positions at the net.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/IMG_4206.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-732752" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Stellar 16 Elite vs. Roots 16-1 Green</figcaption></figure>

The highly-anticipated club volleyball season has arrived in Texas as, since the start of December, club teams all over the Lone Star State have been in action, competing in the first of the many tournaments they will be at over the next six months.