Middles to Watch at the Lone Star Regionals 18s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The club volleyball season is almost over for the class of 2025 prospects, with the USAV Girls Junior National Championship coming up in just over a month, in Salt Lake City.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many teams from around the country have already secured a spot in the tournament, but several others are still looking to qualify and this weekend the teams from Texas will have a great opportunity to do it by competing at the Lone Star Regionals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The event is going to take place at the Legends Event Center, in Bryan, from Saturday to Sunday and will have as many as 56 teams from the Lone Star State competing for the eight bids available.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tournament is going to feature some serious talent from the club volleyball scene in Texas, and we're taking the days leading up to it to highlight those players. We start today with the middles:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["314730"],"_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-67d82ab2cea51"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Baskin will be with AJV 18 Adidas in this weekend's event. An incredibly athletic player, she's one of their main offensive weapons as not many opposing middles can keep up with her at the net. Baskin moves her six-foot frame extremely well on the court and can be lethal hitting very quick sets in the middle with tremendous power. She also does an excellent job of tracking transition passes and times her run with great efficiency, always making herself available for her setter. Because of her excellent footwork, she also has a strong blocking presence, getting to the pin in no time and playing aggressively above the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHtWR9wEgZk","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHtWR9wEgZk </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["227249"],"_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-67d82ab2cead1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Elliott will be in action with AVA TX 18 Adidas in Bryan. She's big and physical, but managed to develop her game beyond that in a very strong way over the last few years. Her blocking presence is always remarkable as she moves very well at the net and can put on a big wall to stop opposing hitters. Elliott is always very calm and focused on the court and that helps her when reading the opposing setter or when she needs to react to an unforeseen situation. She's very good at winning 50-50 duels and is also capable of contributing offensively by taking advantage of her high contact point to beat opposing blockers and put the ball down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/21315293/67b68fa5da4687660044ffd5' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d82ab2ceca4"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kacy O'Neal","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32924","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Gregory-Portland","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Corpus Christi Force","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d82ab2ced66"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">O'Neal will be a part of the CC Force 181 Crossfire team that will get on the court at the Legends Event Center. She's extremely versatile, being able to play anywhere across the net, and the first thing you'll notice about her game is that she competes with a lot of intensity. O'Neal is a couple of inches shorter from being a six-footer but that doesn't stop her from battling against taller opponents at the net. She has an incredibly heavy right arm and doesn't hold anything back when she goes up to hit, at times knocking opponents down with her vicious swings. O'Neal has a solid blocking presence and very good ball control, which allows her to make plays on the backcourt that not many other middles would and to accurately set in transition when needed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://sportsrecruits.com/athlete/kacy_oneal?video=3814117"><strong>Highlights</strong></a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Madi Love","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32924","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Marion","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Ignite Volleyball Club","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d82ab2cee07"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Love will appear for the Ignite 18 Blaze team this weekend in Bryan. A six-footer, she provides the team with some much-needed size at the net and contributes on both sides of the ball. Love is a strong offensive player, who smashes the ball with power and does a very good job of finding ways to hit around opposing blockers. She can hit different sets in the middle and is excellent at adjusting the direction and timing of her approach according to where the pass goes. The middle also appears well defensively, staying alert to deal with overpasses or 50-50 balls and consistently getting to the pins on time and closing out the space next to the team's outside blocker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nx6Y9npVLs","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nx6Y9npVLs </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Karly Bazan","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32924","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"McAllen Memorial","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Valley Venom","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d82ab2ceea4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Bazan will be in the middle with the Valley Venom - 181 Red team. A physical and reliable player, she plays a big role for them offensively, fully stretching her arm to make contact with the ball and hitting a very quick tempo in the middle. Bazan has enough firepower to put the ball with pure power, but she does a great job of finding angles to avoid opposing blockers, at times even spinning her body a little bit while in the air to open up more space. She also has a good blocking presence and becomes even more effective because of how well she times her jumps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18722622/67229da52d0ba3287ff49be5' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67d82ab2ceece"} /-->