LSRC 18s – Houston Area Previews – Houston Skyline 18 Black

Most of the top 18s club volleyball teams in the state of Texas will head to the Austin area this weekend to compete in the 2022 Lone Star Regionals 18s Championship, which will be hosted by the Round Rock Sports Center. The two-day tournament will reunite more than 100 teams across its two divisions and will display some of the top talent available in the Lone Star State. I’ve been fortunate to watch some of these teams in-person while covering tournaments during the club season in the Houston area and will highlight some of the ones that will compete in the 18 Bid division in the days leading up to the LSRC.   Houston Skyline 18 Black 18 Black can be considered the second team of the Houston Skyline club in the age group, but don’t sleep on their talent. This team has secured top ten finishes in the H-Town Showdown #1 (second), the Adidas Lone Star Classic (seventh) and the Northeast Qualifier 1 (ninth) and currently has a 15-16 win record for the season.   Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id="99507" first="Jordan" last="Gamble"] – Middle Blocker – HS: Katy – 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="99507" first="Jordan" last="Gamble"] has earned a reputation of being one of the best middle blockers in the entire state and she certainly deserves it. The 6’3” has an excellent presence at the net and gets to significantly impact both sides of the game. Gamble is a very efficient offensive weapon as not many middles can keep up with her physicality and variations. Her blocking is also very solid as she has a good reading of the game and moves well. She produced 341 kills and 123 blocks in her last high school season with Katy and is ready to join Northwestern State in the summer. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12914349/621dff23da50a90a446a471d" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   [player_tooltip player_id="87487" first="Fallon" last="Thompson"] – Outside Hitter – HS: Grand Oaks – 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="87487" first="Fallon" last="Thompson"] is typically a scoring force for her teams. The 6’1”t outside hitter has one of the heaviest arms in the state of Texas and does an excellent job in going from powerful hard-driven hits to intelligent and well-placed tips when it comes to scoring. Thompson is a high-usage player and does a great job in avoiding mistakes and consistently remaining efficient. She also has a deadly topspin jump serve that frequently helps her teams. Thompson is set to head to Gonzaga this summer after registering 278 kills, 197 passes, 154 digs and 61 aces with Grand Oaks. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6229959/621dee186898850810d34e13" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   Briana Zamora – Libero – HS: Clear Creek – 2022 A new addition to Houston Skyline after coming from Houston Stellar, Briana Zamora has quickly become a key piece for 18 Black. Her defensive production is lights out and she consistently delivers when it comes to passing too. The keys for that are her excellent positioning and reading of the game, her reaction speed and her ball control. After tallying 2,2238 digs, 2,2280 passes and 179 aces in four years of high school volleyball with Clear Creek, the 5’4” Zamora is set to join Louisiana State at the collegiate level. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/8890071/621df7b290f95d08d0af7cf7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   [player_tooltip player_id="87522" first="Lindsey" last="Kriendler"] – Right Side/Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter – HS: Cypress Creek – 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="87522" first="Lindsey" last="Kriendler"]’s versatility is extremely valuable for 18 Black. Capable of playing anywhere at the net, she’s also a well-versed defensive player, being the kind of prospect that can fill any needs their coaches have on the court. She’s most typically used on the right at 18 Black and gets to help the team in a variety of different ways. Kriendler has a solid presence at the net both offensively and defensively with her 6’2” frame but is also part of the team’s passing system. She has committed to the University of New Hampshire after producing 1,237 kills, 168 blocks, 589 digs, 901 passes and 173 aces in four years with her high school team Cypress Creek. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11613800/621df7b18cdebb02882cd7b7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   Catalina Martinez – Setter – HS: Cinco Ranch – 2022 A very talented and intelligent setter, Catalina Martinez does an excellent job in using all of the great offensive options she has at 18 Black. The 5’8” ball-handler likes to play fast, but is very consistent with her locations and has a great feeling of the game. She’s also solid on the backcourt, where the defense and serving skills get to impact the game. One of the top players in her high school team Cinco Ranch, where she tallied 414 assists, 221 digs and 27 aces in her senior season, Martinez has committed to the University of Memphis. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12175955/6232b71f664b7f0478814740" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   Mecca Freeman – Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker – HS: Mayde Creek – 2022 Mecca Freeman is another talented and versatile prospect to be part of this 18 Black team. Originally a middle blocker, she successfully transitioned to the outside hitter position and developed a solid game on the backcourt too. Freeman’s bread and butter is her play at the net, though, and while her 6’3” frame certainly helps, she has grown to become a very skilled hitter, thriving when hitting shoot sets at the pin. After leaving Mayde Creek as the program’s all-time leader in kills (773) and blocks (249), she committed to Bethune-Cookman. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13104508/621df2488cdebb02882cceee" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>