H-Town Showdown #1 – 18s – Setters
Last weekend was a big one for club volleyball in the state of Texas as the season started to get some steam with multiple tournaments popping up all around the state and providing prospects from the Lone Star State with…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend was a big one for club volleyball in the state of Texas as the season started to get some steam with multiple tournaments popping up all around the state and providing prospects from the Lone Star State with a great opportunity to develop and showcase their games.
Although the Tour of Texas Qualifier held in Austin was hands down the highlight of the weekend, the Houston area also had some really good competition at the H-Town Showdown #1, a tournament that reunited 100 teams from three different age groups across three venues in the area.
I was at the Texas Tornados club on Saturday afternoon following the two top brackets of the 18s Division and got to see some familiar faces confirm my thoughts about them and several new ones make a strong impression. During the week, I’ll feature five players in each position who were in top form on Saturday and we start now with the setters.
Madison Fritz
Madison Fritz
Fritz got plenty of playing time with the winners of the top bracket, HJV 18 Elite, playing the three back rotations while fellow setter Claire Dewine Claire Dewine 6’1″ | S The Woodlands | 2023 State TX took up hitting duties at the net. She did an excellent job in keeping the team’s setting nearly flawless while providing an interesting change of pace. Fritz is very technical on the ball and her touch is very clean, which ensures she’s able to maintain her precision steady all day. She also made very good choices with her ball distribution, keeping all her hitters involved. Fritz also made some interesting plays on defense.
Haley Muse
Haley Muse
Muse was an important piece for her Texas Tornados 18 Elite team that advanced all the way to the final of the top bracket. A lefty, she’s very skilled and technical on the ball and is capable of making plays not many other setters are. Muse has some very interesting setting attributes, including the consistency of her locations, her quickness to move away from the net to chase passes and her ability to fake blockers. She’s also great at feeling out the moment of each of her hitters and adjusting her game plan to it. Her floater is really tough to pass as well.
Hadley Klock
Hadley Klock
After some years with Brazos Volley Juniors, Klock moved to the new Houston Skyline Bryan-College Station club to set for their 18 Royal team. She played a big role in their good campaign in the top bracket, running the team’s offense and causing a massive impact on the game. Klock is very creative with her ball distribution and does a great job when setting against the flow as she fakes the block, but still maintains her accuracy. She’s also very effective with her setter dumps and plays good defense.
Rylee Sherman
Rylee Sherman
I had watched Sherman for the first time in the last club season, when, as the top player in her former club SETX Elite, she played a variety of different roles on the court. This weekend I found out she’s even better when sticking to her original setter position as she was a bright spot with Xcel VB 182 Green, which ranked 11th. Sherman has great size and uses it very well on the court, even to set the middles when the pass is not ideal. She’s also a very good blocker on the right, can server tough and plays good defense. As I saw last year, she can also hit and block middle if needed.
Grace Krohn
Grace Krohn
After playing one age group up with Asics Willowbrook 18 Gold last season, Krohn is back in 2023, playing an even more central role for the team. She’s the calm and positive leader of a team that has a lot of athleticism and explosiveness and her style meshes well with her hitters’. You always know what you’re going to get with Krohn and that’s typically a smart and efficient offensive strategy, good distribution and consistent locations. Her six-foot frame and good reading when blocking can also make an impact at the net, but she’s a solid server and defender as well.