Tour of Texas Stop #2 Preview Vol 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first stop of the Tour of Texas was amazing as we had top Open level teams from all over the country come to Houston to compete.&nbsp; We had three scouts in the gym to cover a lot of the amazing play that went on.&nbsp; This weekend is the second stop of the Tour and it will be held in Austin, TX.&nbsp; This stop has some awesome match ups that we are very eager to see.&nbsp; Let's take a look at some of the amazing teams and players to watch out for.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 Invitational Power Pools</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Power Pool #1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Texas is dominating this age group with three out of the four teams slated in this pool.&nbsp; The top seed needs no introduction as they were went 6-2 overall last stop and have been one of the best in the age group over the last few years.&nbsp; They will look to stay on top in this tourney.&nbsp; With studs like Sophee Peterson and [player_tooltip player_id='534300' first='Nyla' last='Livings'] and [player_tooltip player_id='534299' first='Brynn' last='Stephens'] leading the charge, it will not be hard.&nbsp; [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] is playing very well together and proving that they are not one to be taken lightly.&nbsp; They finished tied for third last stop with amazing play from Alix Klein, [player_tooltip player_id='534384' first='Jordan' last='Morrow'], Caylee young, [player_tooltip player_id='534332' first='Tinsley' last='Welker-Brown'], [player_tooltip player_id='534319' first='Aspen' last='Brown'], and [player_tooltip player_id='534395' first='Jacey' last='Carroll'] to name a few.&nbsp; Their entire roster is littered with talent.&nbsp; [program_tooltip program_id='431200' first='Madfrog' last=''] 16 National Green was my pick to upset a lot of teams last stop and they sure proved those statements to be true with an overall record of 6-1.&nbsp; They are back and ready to showcase themselves and prove that it was no fluke.&nbsp; Super stud [player_tooltip player_id='534291' first='Gentry' last='Barker'] and her crew of [player_tooltip player_id='534326' first='Isabella' last='Howard'], [player_tooltip player_id='433624' first='Audree' last='Hughes'], [player_tooltip player_id='534328' first='Vanessa' last='Glenn'], [player_tooltip player_id='511262' first='Gabriella' last='Skopljak'], [player_tooltip player_id='433667' first='Savannah' last='Sterna'], Gabriela McHenry and [player_tooltip player_id='433654' first='Maia' last='Raleigh'] are ready to take everyone on at this tourney.&nbsp; The dark horse of this pool is [program_tooltip program_id='510733' first='Drive' last='Nation'] 16 Red who earned their shot with a strong showing at the last stop in Houston.&nbsp; They went 4-3 but every match was hard fought.&nbsp; With stars like [player_tooltip player_id='433632' first='Georgia' last='Ostransky'], [player_tooltip player_id='579861' first='Madelyn' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='433677' first='Keegan' last='Flowers'], and super stud [player_tooltip player_id='430133' first='Natalie' last='Norton'] at the helm, everyone better watch out.&nbsp; This pool will definitely have some fireworks in every round and we will be watching very closely to see who will come out on top.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Power Pool #2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Excel 16 National Red is the top seed in this pool and they look to bounce back from a tough outing last stop.  While this team is relatively new to the scene as they rebuilt from last year's roster, they still had some spurts of brilliance that tells me they will learn from history in this tourney.  The second seed is Dallas Skyline 16 Royal Whit who is extremely battle tested and worthy of the placement.  They went 3-5 last tourney but three of those losses were in very tight three sets that could easily have gone their way with a few good bounces of the ball falling in their favor.  Their roster has some names that are on college coaches' short lists for sure.  Players like [player_tooltip player_id='413355' first='Camryn' last='Penn'], [player_tooltip player_id='412438' first='Dakota' last='Huynh'], [player_tooltip player_id='433665' first='Ryan' last='Spencer'], [player_tooltip player_id='534412' first='Kharley' last='Smith'], [player_tooltip player_id='534313' first='Grace' last='Pinegar'] are just a few that stand out, although anyone on this team is capable of balling out.  Arete 16 Navy Telos surprised me with their athleticism at stop number one in Houston.  Strong outside hitter Julia Hudgins is a tough out on the pins.  She has the ball control and power to warrant a lot of eyes on her.  Her counterpart on the pins is six-rotation Maddie Lagrone and she has exceptional ball control and tons of hops for her size.  When the team is out of system, they look to her to bail them out with back row shot making.  Her lightning quick arm also makes it very difficult for opposing blockers to time.  The fourth seed in this pool is TAV 16 Black Jason who has some stars of their own.  Super libero [player_tooltip player_id='529145' first='Nia' last='LaMons'] is as fast as they come and she is a big blur as she travels all over the court to save balls from hitting the floor.  Setter [player_tooltip player_id='762434' first='Molly' last='Aubert'] is ready to continue to move the ball around evenly and get everyone involved in the offense.  Her smooth hands showed well last stop and we like what we see from her moving forward.  The big left arm of opposite [player_tooltip player_id='528474' first='Aubree' last='Pratt'] and the big right arm of left side pin [player_tooltip player_id='644463' first='Alyssa' last='Todd'] are great ways to establish the offense against anyone.  We like what we see from this team and think they will give everyone a tough time. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will have some coverage of this tournament next week so, stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply reposting on X or Instagram or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->