Tour of Texas Stop 1 Top Performers Vol 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who stood out at the Tour of Texas this weekend?  The Lone Star State and six other states will be battling it out early in the club season to put their lineups to the test.  Almost every one of these teams in the invitational divisions will most certainly earn a coveted bid to USA Volleyball Junior Nationals later on this summer.  Let's take a look at who earned our Top Performer award for this tourney?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["748675"],"_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-696c50211c48e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='748675' first='Olivia' last='Carter'] delivered a dominant showing at the Tour of Texas Austin Stop, earning Top Performer recognition and reinforcing her status as the No. 2 ranked player in the 2028 class in Oklahoma according to Prep Dig. Playing primarily on the right side, Carter overwhelmed opponents with a high-flying, high-powered arm swing that created constant matchup problems. From a technical perspective, her explosiveness off the floor allowed her to contact the ball at an elite point, giving blockers little margin for error. What stood out most was her in-air adaptability, as she repeatedly adjusted mid-approach to attack down the line or find seams when the block closed. That ability to score in multiple ways made her nearly impossible to contain, even against top-tier competition. Her presence on the right side forced defenses to alter their blocking schemes and commit additional resources, opening the court for her teammates. With her combination of athleticism, arm speed, and competitive confidence, Carter was one of the most electrifying offensive performers in Austin.</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":"Grace Hengler","_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":"5'8u0022","_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":"Corum Deo","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"MadFrog","_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-696c50211c542"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Grace Hengler delivered one of the most energetic and fearless performances at the Tour of Texas Austin Stop, earning Top Performer recognition while playing up an age group. At 5'8”, Hengler may be undersized compared to some of the attackers at this level, but her tenacious style of play made that completely irrelevant. From middle back, she pursued the ball with relentless speed, showing elite digging ability against hard-driven attacks and refusing to let points end easily. Her defensive reads were sharp, and her willingness to attack every ball with urgency set the tone for her team. Offensively, Hengler caught opponents off guard, swinging aggressively and scoring repeatedly with smart shots down the line and well-placed tools off the block. Those momentum-shifting kills felt magnified, often energizing her teammates and changing the flow of the match. With her all-gas approach, competitive fearlessness, and growing offensive confidence, Hengler firmly placed herself on the watch list as a 2029 prospect to track closely moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["580697"],"_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-696c50211c591"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='580697' first='Mary-Christine' last='Crutcher'] turned in a statement performance at the Tour of Texas Austin Stop, earning Top Performer recognition while playing up an age group against elite national competition. Standing at 5'11”, the 2029 outside hitter rose to the moment in a high-level matchup against A5 out of Atlanta, one of the premier programs in the country. Offensively, Crutcher was fearless and productive, scoring at will and shouldering the load when her team needed a steady point scorer. Her ability to remain aggressive against a well-formed block spoke volumes about her confidence and competitive maturity. Defensively, she was just as impactful, showing exceptional awareness as an off-side blocker by flying in to save deflections and tips that would normally fall untouched. Those effort plays extended rallies and kept momentum on her team's side in critical moments. With her physical tools, two-way impact, and composure against top-tier talent, Crutcher is clearly on a fast track to becoming one of the nation's elite players in her class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stay tuned as we will have some awesome articles covering as many awesome players and teams as we can from this tournament.  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>.  Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.  Help us help them by simply reposting on X or Instagram or sharing on Facebook.  Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->