Lone Star Regionals – 18s – Liberos

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the top 18s teams in the state of Texas were in Houston this past weekend, competing in the 2023 Lone Star Regionals, a qualifier for next month's USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/03/lone-star-regionals-18s-photo-gallery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lone Star Regionals - 18s - Photo Gallery</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The bid division had 42 teams in action and Prep Dig was at the FAST Complex on Sunday, following the matches of the gold and silver brackets and taking a look at the best 16 teams in the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're taking the week to point out some players who stood out with their teams and now find out who were some of the liberos who were rock solid:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- 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":"Kenedy Gustafson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_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":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Summer Creek","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Gustafson was a stud for division winners HJV 18 Elite, providing a lot of stability and efficiency for the team on the backcourt. With her team having two offensive-minded pin hitters on the lineup, the libero was tasked with covering a ton on ground on serve-receive and she absolutely nailed it, delivering accurate passes all day. Gustafson is one of those low profile players, who make their teams tick without any fanfare. She was really solid on defense too, getting into good spots to make plays, especially when defending angle.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a433d7"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15092605/6417caa4a018db04f0370b00' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a43452"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["99495"],"_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_0_evaluation":"The best libero in the entire state of Texas in he age group according to our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings, Manitzas had another strong showing with Alamo 18 Premier. The charismatic libero made a huge impact in games from her backcourt position, making impressive digs and displayed incredible reflexes. Manitzas has only gotten better in terms of ball control over the years and with more experience, has been very calm on the court too. Setting is another area of her game that saw impressive improvement recently.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a434d2"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":349654,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/IMG_4841.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-349654" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA Juniors 18 Adidas vs. Alamo 18 Premier</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- 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":"Ava Martindale","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'5u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"College Station","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"TAV Houston","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Martindale's defensive solidness was pivotal for the strong campaign of her TAV Houston 18 Adidas team in the tournament. Very calm on the ball, she was nearly flawless all day, taking care of her backcourt duties in a very efficient way. Martindale was always very consistent with her passing and very active on defense, making good plays when dealing with hard-driven swings or when she had to track down tips or shots. She recovered countless balls when covering her hitters at the net and also did a solid job of setting in transition when needed.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a435bf"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15037987/64175f2b4ba8060440edf274' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a435ef"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Positional Breakdowns:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>* <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/03/lone-star-regionals-18s-setters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Setters</a> * <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/03/lone-star-regionals-18s-middles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Middles</a> * <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/03/lone-star-regionals-18s-outsides/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Outsides</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- 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":"Krizia Perez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Laredo","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='431254' first='San' last='Antonio Juniors']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Perez's SA juniors 18 Adidas team had a lot of players who impressed with strong performances and the libero was one of them. Very technical and quick, she was incredibly stable with her passing, keeping the team in system for most of the day. Her defensive production was also very noticeable as she displayed excellent ball control to handle some hard-driven swings that went her way. An Angelo State commit, Perez also did several other things very well, such as setting in transition and maintaining a positive attitude on the court at all times.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a43739"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":349652,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/IMG_4814.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-349652" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA Juniors 18 Adidas vs. Alamo 18 Premier</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- 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":"Carly Lange","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32926","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bellville","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Houston Stellar","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Lange was a bright spot in her Houston Stellar 18 Elite team, consistently making big plays for them on the backcourt. She covered half of the court in serve-receive, splitting the responsibility with pin hitter Emma Carro, and the two were able to maintain a high level of efficiency. A Tarleton State commit, Lange was also very active on defense, hustling to get digs and generate transition opportunities for her team.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641a2d3a4385a"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":349693,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/IMG_5254.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-349693" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA Magic 18 Elite vs. Houston Stellar 18 Elite</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->