Tour of Texas Stop 1 Top Performers Vol 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who stood out at the Tour of Texas this weekend?  The Lone Star State and six other states battled it out early in the club season and 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":["743563"],"_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-696fd61764318"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='743563' first='Mariel' last='Elizondo'] established herself as one of the most athletic and polished setters in the 15s age group at the Tour of Texas Austin Stop. From the first whistle, her posture and body control stood out, as she consistently delivered sets with perfect balance and no visible “tells” that allowed defenses to cheat early. That discipline made it extremely difficult for opposing blockers to anticipate where the ball was going. Even in out-of-system situations, Elizondo showed a calm, composed presence, magically moving the ball to all of her hitters and keeping her offense unpredictable. Her footwork was clean and efficient, with no wasted steps as she tracked down passes and digs to create quality scoring opportunities. Technically, she is very advanced for her age, showing smooth hands, strong location, and excellent tempo control. Her leadership was evident as she guided her squad to an undefeated run throughout the tournament, consistently putting her teammates in positions to succeed. With this level of athleticism, volleyball IQ, and command of the game, Elizondo has the look of a future high-level setter and a strong candidate to be ranked near the top when the Prep Dig Texas State Rankings are released next month.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["767447"],"_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-696fd6176441d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='767447' first='Tessa' last='Beckman'] immediately stood out at the tournament, not just because of her physically imposing 6-foot-4 frame, but because of how well she used it against some of the top teams in Texas. While her size naturally draws attention, what truly impressed was the speed of her arm swing and the lightning-quick wrist snap she generates at contact, giving her attack an extra level of pop and power. She routinely terminated balls out of the middle, scoring with authority and forcing opposing defenses to adjust their game plan. Beckman shows advanced timing and confidence attacking in traffic, rarely shying away from big moments at the net. Her offensive presence alone demands respect, but her overall athleticism hints at an even higher ceiling as she continues to develop. She is an exceptional talent who should have no trouble earning a spot on the Prep Dig California State Rankings when the next update is released. College coaches would be wise to start tracking her now, as her combination of size, speed, and upside makes her one of the more intriguing young middles in her class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["849241"],"_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-696fd617644f2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='849241' first='Dylan' last='Wilson'] quickly established herself as one of the most feared blockers in the 15 Invitational division, and it's easy to see why when you watch her control the net. Her elite wingspan paired with an advanced ability to track an attacker's line of approach allows her to consistently be in the right place at the right time. She does an outstanding job of keeping her midline aligned with the hitter's attacking shoulder, ensuring her block is disciplined and square to the play. Wilson also keeps her hands high and ready, which allows her to press over the net immediately at contact and take away valuable hitting angles. Offensively, she impressed with her ability to manipulate the ball mid-swing, carving shots around the block with confidence. From the middle, she showed the ability to score into both left-back and right-back zones, making her extremely difficult to game plan against. That offensive versatility keeps opposing blockers honest and prevents them from fully committing to stopping her. Wilson was a major reason her team competed so well at the highest level, and she is firmly on the radar as a player with the potential to rank very high when the 2029 state rankings are released.</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 -->