H-Town Showdown 16s Division Pin Hitters Who Carried Their Teams

<p>The Countdown City Classic, held in San Antonio, was the biggest club volleyball tournament held in the state of Texas last weekend, but teams from the Houston area that did not make the trip to the Alamo City also had a lot to play for, with the first stop of the H-Town Showdown taking place.</p>   <p>The event had the [program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] facility as the hosting venue and reunited 36 teams in the 16s, 17s and 18s age groups for a full day of matches right at the start of the club season.</p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong><a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/01/h-town-showdown-1-16s-division-photos/">H-Town Showdown #1: 16s Division Photos</a></strong></li> </ul>   <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/DTGLNMUjoVg/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   <p>Prep Dig Texas was in attendance, covering the teams in the 16s Division. Many players made a strong impression on us during the day, and we're getting to know them this week. Today, we look into the pin hitters:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Moriarty played for the HJV 16 Elite team that finished at the top of the standings with three victories and no sets lost. Outside hitter was a position of strength for them, who had [player_tooltip player_id='765090' first='Sade' last='Bello'], [player_tooltip player_id='745042' first='Elsa' last='St Rose'] and her rotating during matches. Moriarty was an important offensive weapon for the team, using her length to make contact with the ball at a very high point and finishing with power and precision. The outside hitter also served and passed at a high level and was very consistent in every aspect of her game.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Davenport was with the HJV 16 Premier side that ended in second place with three wins and one loss. A tall and powerful hitter, she was the team's go-to scoring option and got on the ball a lot, putting it down at a solid rate. Davenport showed great variation with her shots and excellent vision, often aiming for the end line and making very few errors. She was also very dependable in serve-receive, handling well the serves that went her way.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/2J4A0139.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-930753" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Dronavalli helped Catalyst 16 Green finish in the top three in third place with two wins and a loss. She proved to be an extremely well-rounded offensive player, scoring at a solid level from both the pin and the middle back position. Dronavalli used her size well and could put a lot of pressure into her swings, but was also very smart with her decision-making, consistently picking the best option at the net. The pin hitter also handled her passing duties smoothly and came up with nice digs.</p>    <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/DTJlJzkkYVm/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">LaGrone featured for the [program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] 16 National team that ranked fifth with two wins and two losses. An undersized outside hitter, she made up for it offensively with a great vertical and excellent offensive vision. A lefty, LaGrone had some serious firepower in her arm, but thrived by consistently finding ways to hit around blockers or tip in great spots. She was also a weapon from the service line, getting opponents out of system and going on long runs.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/2J4A0063.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-930727" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Engelbrink was a key piece in the HJV 16 National team that ranked seventh with two wins and two losses. Well-rounded and consistent, she was one of the pillars of the team, contributing on both sides of the ball. Engelbrink used her length well offensively, was very productive on the left and the right and also did very well in out-of-system plays, managing to hit around the block even without many alternatives. She also demonstrated good ball control in serve-receive and was always effective from the service line.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/2J4A0049.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-930722" /></figure>

The Countdown City Classic, held in San Antonio, was the biggest club volleyball tournament held in the state of Texas last weekend, but teams from the Houston area that did not make the trip to the Alamo City also had a lot to play for, with the first stop of the H-Town Showdown taking place.