Outstanding Outsides at the FAST Warm-Up 15 Open Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The club volleyball season is officially underway, and the second week of action in Texas hosted some high-level tournaments all over the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On December 13, we visited the FAST Complex, home to the highly respected [program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors'] Club, one of the venues for the traditional season-opening tournament, the FAST Warm-Up, which this season featured over 300 teams in 13 divisions that competed across four venues in the Houston area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We followed the matches of the 15 Open Division, which took place in the morning and featured 12 teams, representing 11 clubs from the Houston and Austin areas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong><a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/12/fast-warm-up-15-open-division-saturday-photos/">Fast Warm-Up: 15 Open Division Saturday Photos</a></strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DSQCWU4DqPi/?img_index=1","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DSQCWU4DqPi/?img_index=1 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was exciting to see a new wave of players enter the 15s age group, and I'm now ready to report on the ones who stood out the most in their respective positions. Today, we look into the outside hitters:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- 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":"Reese Baillio","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_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":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Grand Oaks","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-69409b3348795"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Baillio was a key player in the HJV 15 Elite team that ended the tournament at the top of the standings with an undefeated campaign of six victories. Also an elite beach volleyball player, she made a strong impression with her solid all-around game, being one of the pillars of her team. Baillio was very efficient offensively, playing aggressively, getting off the floor well and finding great angles with her swings. She also made a difference in the back row, passing with great consistency and combining excellent positioning and ball control when playing defense. She was maybe the only player in the event to have a top-spin jump serve and executed it well, showing great control and making very few errors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":919144,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/2J4A0094.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-919144" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["784876"],"_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-69409b3348811"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Laney played for the AP 15 Adidas team that took second place in the event with our wins and two losses. She rolled her ankle in the team's first match, but did enough when she was on the court to earn her place on this list. Also capable of playing on the right, she demonstrated great offensive potential, combining a heavy right arm and excellent vision, which allowed her to make good choices with her swings. Laney's overall game was very clean and consistent and she also did well with her passing, handling the serves that went her way efficiently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":919113,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/2J4A0008_94e3eb.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-919113" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- 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":"Naomi Niu","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_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":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Salado","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"Austin Juniors","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-69409b33488a6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Niu appeared for the AJV 15 Adidas team that earned a top-three finish in the FAST Warm-Up, ranking third after getting four wins and a loss. A six-footer, she combined great size and solid technical tools to help her team in different areas of the game. Niu was a force at the net, making great use of her high contact point and showing great variation to beat blockers and defenders and put the ball down. The outside hitter also made a big impact on the back row, performing her serve-receive duties with great consistency and accuracy and going on long serving runs as she got opponents out of system.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":919118,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/2J4A0022.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-919118" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- 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":"Kimani Chinyere","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_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":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Summer Creek","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='798844' first='New' last='Age Volleyball Club']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-69409b3348938"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Chinyere led her New Age 15 Select team to a fifth-place finish in the tournament, with two wins and three losses. Long and athletic, she was a focal point in their offense and demonstrated solid tools to consistently carry the team's scoring load. Chinyere was efficient with her swings both on the left and the right, and found good solutions to put the ball down, avoiding errors. Her passing wasn't always perfect, but she held her own for most of the time in that area, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":919111,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/2J4A0004_605ac2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-919111" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["849947"],"_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-69409b3348989"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Blaine helped her TX Legacy 15 Elite team tie for fifth place over the weekend with a campaign of three wins and two losses. She was set on the left, the right and even the middle back position and was very reliable, using her power and length to score when in system and interesting solutions to put the ball down when in difficult situations. Blaine also contributed on the backcourt, serving aggressively and passing at a high level. She was always alert when playing defense and had a lot of success when peeling off the block and controlling sharp-angled swings at the pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->