Texas Setters to Follow at U18 Nationals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025-2026 club season is just about to end for the class of 2026 players, as this weekend, many of them will compete in the season-ending 2026 USA Volleyball Girls U18 Junior National Championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The three-day event will take place between Friday and Sunday in Reno, Nevada, and feature nearly 500 teams from all over the country, which will compete in its seven divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state of Texas will be represented by as many as 53 teams, which are spread across the divisions - American (9), Freedom (4), Liberty (9), National (5), Open (6), Patriot (5) and USA (15).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be the last opportunity to see some of the most talented players from the Lone Star State in action with their club jerseys, and, as the start of the event approaches, we'll point out some of them who are definitely worth watching one final time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First, the setters:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["339153"],"_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-69ef8f9cc45a9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Minus is the setter of the United VBA 18 Adidas team that's set to compete in the Open Division in Nevada. A dynamic and skilled playmaker, she keeps her team in a steady offensive rhythm with her intelligent distribution. Minus has reliable setting hands and is very quick to track passes around the court, a combination that allows her to be extremely consistent with her locations regardless of the conditions she's operating on. The setter also brings a lot to the table when playing defense, as she's very quick with her movement on the back row and has outstanding ball control.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["254093"],"_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-69ef8f9cc4678"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cavanaugh will be with [program_tooltip program_id='462263' first='TAV' last='Houston'] 18 Blue in the event's Freedom Division. Expect her to lead her team on the court with her calming presence and consistent play at the setter position. Cavanaugh is very strong mentally and does a great job of adjusting to what each match requires, giving her team a chance in any situation. She has great setting hands and is very intelligent with how she shares the ball around her hitters. Cavanaugh is also an asset on the back row, serving aggressively and playing solid defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["518983"],"_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-69ef8f9cc4722"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Molina and her [program_tooltip program_id='745880' first='Houston' last='Stellar'] 15 Elite team will be in contention in the tournament's Liberty Division. An extremely technical setter, she likes to feed her middles as much as possible and to run a very creative offense when in system, moving her hitters around and keeping opposing blockers on their toes. Molina also gets the job done in out-of-system plays, using her firm hands to get the ball to the pin in good conditions. The setter also adds a lot on defense, playing with grit and determination to keep the ball off the floor, and makes a strong impact from the service line with her strong serving.</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":"Jillian Vinal","_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":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32561","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Au0026amp;M Consolidated","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'] BCS","_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-69ef8f9cc4865"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Vinal plays for the BCS Skyline 18 Royal team that is entered in the Patriot Division of the National Championship. She runs a very smooth offense and uses her excellent setting technique to consistently get her hitters in good positions to score points. Vinal is very creative with her playing and doesn't hesitate to set against the flow of play, often getting her pin hitters 1v1 at the net. She also adds a lot when playing defense, showing impressive ball control to handle hard-driven swings and generate transition opportunities for her team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["254134"],"_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-69ef8f9cc490b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Thomas is part of the Texas Legacy 18 Elite team that will play in the Liberty Division. A tall setter with excellent hands and a high volleyball IQ, she has all the tools to lead her team on the court in Reno. She makes the most of her high contact point to speed things up offensively and to score on setter dumps, sending the ball straight down at the net. Also a productive server, Thomas shares the ball very evenly on offense, keeping all of her hitters ready and engaged in the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->