Players to Watch – Lone Star Classic Qualifier – 16 Open – Vol 2

<p>It is here!  The Lone Star Classic National Qualifier tournament held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas will be played this weekend April 15-17^th.  There will be over a thousand talented teams from across the country competing in this awesome tournament and hundreds of college coaches in attendance.  Texas will be well represented with 17 teams in the 16 Open Division.  This is widely regarded as the tournament with the toughest competition in the nation. There are already five Open level qualified teams entered in it and there are only three bids available.  It will be a weekend full of cutthroat volleyball and we couldn’t be more excited.  We will be previewing a few of the players that will be showcasing their abilities for the Texas teams that are not yet qualified.  They are some of the best players in the 2024 grad class. Let’s meet a few of the talented players who college coaches need to watch this weekend.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p>Just for reference, the following teams are already Qualified for USA Junior Nationals in the Open Division and will be competing at the Lone Star Classic also:</p> <p><strong>AJV 16 adidas</strong></p> <p><strong>Drive Nation 16-Red</strong></p> <p><strong>Flyers 16 APX-Dylan</strong></p> <p><strong>MADFROG 16’S N GREEN</strong></p> <p><strong>Vision 16 Gold</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p>Lets take a look at the players college coaches need to be watching from the teams that have not qualified yet:</p> <p><strong>Xcel VB 161 Adidas</strong></p> <p>Xcel will not have anyone fooled into thinking they do not belong in this division.  This team since last year, has beaten or been extremely competitive with a lot of teams in this tourney.  This season they are 23-15 overall on the year and ranked as the 2^ndbest team in the Lone Star Region according to AES results.  I have watched them in the Salt Lake City Qualifier via Baller TV this year but am anxiously awaiting watching them in person this weekend.  They are led by super setter [player_tooltip player_id="142639" first="Peyton" last="Fadal"] as she drives the tank.  Their weapons on offense are hard-hitting [player_tooltip player_id="155118" first="Katy" last="Barger"] and Tanishua Joseph.  Demi Carter and Mia Rivers are two other names to know on this stellar squad. Stay tuned for more on this team as I will be by their court a few times. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tx Performance 16s</strong></p> <p>This team is primed for a good showing as they are coming off of an 11^thplace finish in 16 Open at the Red Rock Rave Qualifier. They are currently 21-5 overall and undefeated against teams in their region.  They sit ranked as the best team in their age group in the Sun Country Region.  Some names to know are libero Victoria Leyva, setter Angelina Figueroa, and middles Gessell Martinez and Diana Wong.  We are excited to get to know their pins as we hear they are lights out.  This team has an intriguing appeal as we know very little about them but are excited to see them in action.  They are currently ranked 12^thin the field now that the seeding is out. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Skyline 16 Royal</strong></p> <p>I am very familiar with this team as I have seen them in action on three separate occasions.  They have an entire roster of studs and are poised for a great tourney.  They have two absolute studs in [player_tooltip player_id="124113" first="Lauryn" last="“Lolo” Lambert"] and [player_tooltip player_id="124101" first="Lauren" last="Perry"].  These two are scoring machines from anywhere on the court.  Their two setters [player_tooltip player_id="155130" first="Carter" last="Fouche"] and Harper Hall are scrappy dynamos who can hit the bulls eye over and over at all locations.  [player_tooltip player_id="155120" first="Ashby" last="Daniel"] and [player_tooltip player_id="179902" first="Shelby" last="Burriss"] are two mddles who colleges should keep an eye on.  They are stars on the rise.  Libero [player_tooltip player_id="155119" first="McKenna" last="Brand"] plays fast and furious all over the court as she doesn’t let much hit the floor anywhere near her zone.  They will have a good shot to earn a bid this weekend if they can put it all together.  We like their chances and will be watching closely from the sidelines. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I will be in attendance and will try to cover as many players/teams as I can.  Be sure to share your schedules with me on Twitter.  There are some other great players that we will be covering during the three-day weekend.  Stay tuned to see who plays well and deserves kudos as we will be writing articles on how they perform.  We will have some good pictures of their play also.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.  If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com.  Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.  Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.  Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.  Keep them coming!</p>