Brilliant setters at Tour of Texas 15 Invitational Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most competitive and anticipated tournaments in the entire club volleyball season in the state of Texas, the Tour of Texas kicked off last weekend in Houston, with three days of action that reunited each of the top teams in the Lone Star State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Held across seven facilities in the Houston area, the event reunited over 400 teams, spread across its ten divisions. Even club teams from other states, such as California, Georgia, Illinois and Utah, made the trip to H-Town to compete, further elevating the level of the tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Dig Texas was in attendance on Saturday, when we were at both the FAST Complex and the [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] facilities to watch the 12 teams that competed in the 15 Invitational Division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/01/tour-of-texas-houston-15-invitational-day-1-photos/">15 Invitational Division - Day 1 Photos</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the first of the two Tour of Texas stops concluded, it's time we feature some of the players who had strong performances in the event, starting with the setters:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["548605"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678fe34070695"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hicks was one of the setters that helped TAV 15 Black Jason end the tournament in first place, with seven wins and two losses. I got to watch them in their opening match, a 2-0 loss to [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] 15 Royal, and despite the upset, she was one of the best players on the court. Hicks' stability means a lot to TAV as the team's big and physical hitters need a consistent setting to thrive, which is exactly what she delivers. Hicks is very technical and can execute difficult sets with passes off the net thanks to her great movement. She also displayed great ball control and reflexes when playing defense and was a huge asset on the backcourt too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["731168"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678fe34070700"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Musgrove appeared for the [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] 15 Royal team that ranked fourth in the division with five wins and three losses. She split the setting duties with [player_tooltip player_id='731135' first='Hana' last='Penberthy'] and the two did an excellent job of giving the team a nice and efficient offensive rhythm. A tall setter, Musgrove used her length well when setting, but she also stood out for her remarkable technique, which allowed her to remain precise with her locations. The setter also displayed a high volleyball IQ, using all of her hitters and making good choices with her distribution. Musgrove had some good serving runs and was very active when playing defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["724645"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678fe3407074f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Chase led her HJV 15 Elite team to a fifth-place finish in the division, with four wins and three losses. A tall setter, she did a great job with her ball distribution and potentialized the offensive power of her team. Chase shared the ball very well between her hitters and frequently moved them around when in system, giving them the edge over scrambling opposing blockers. The setter also contributed with great production on defense and did an excellent job of communicating with her teammates between points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On to the Final 8 of the first Tour of Texas! <br><br>Starting EARLY tomorrow 😳! Love playing with this team!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/houstonjuniors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@houstonjuniors</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PDTexas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PDTexas</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VBAdrenaline?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VBAdrenaline</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepVolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepVolleyball</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ufvb6E8Z84">pic.twitter.com/Ufvb6E8Z84</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='724645' first='Macie' last='Chase'] (@mchase2028) <a href="https://twitter.com/mchase2028/status/1881190764220416388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["739381"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678fe34070798"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">With Newton running point, [program_tooltip program_id='462263' first='TAV' last='Houston'] 15 Adidas secured a ninth-placed finish in the tournament, with a solid campaign of six wins and two losses. Her creative and reliable playmaking played a big role in the team's success as the setter thrived in her job of facilitating the team's offense. Newton used her middle very well and was excellent when setting against the flow. Because of that, her offense was unpredictable, which consistently got her hitters in good situations to score. She also did well when working with passes off the net and created problems for opponents from the service line with her tough serves. Newton also played a key leadership role with the team, consistently communicating with her teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFEmi9ssPsA/">Highlights</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["739802"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678fe340707df"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Niu's AJV 15 Adidas team didn't have the best results over the weekend, ranking 13th, with two wins and five losses, but the setter still managed to stand out with her game. The team's game flowed through her and the setter made them work well at the net, distributing the ball with intelligence and efficiency. A tall and very technical setter, Niu showed chemistry with each of her hitters and kept a positive attitude on the court even when things weren't going well. She was a massive asset for her team at the net, providing a huge blocking presence and taking up hitting duties, but she also contributed on the backcourt with great serving and superior defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":743191,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/01/2J4A0147.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-743191" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alamo 15 Premier vs. AJV 15 Adidas</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->