Tour of Texas Stop 2 Roundtable – Coach Mike DZs Version Vol 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most anticipated series of tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Tour of Texas. &nbsp;It is because of all of the talent that will be under one roof for two stops.&nbsp; I was in person for the first stop and the gym was electric for two days.&nbsp; It was cut short due to bad weather but still showcased a lot of great volleyball.&nbsp; Stop two will be held in Houston from February 10-11^th.&nbsp; Prep Dig has three scouts who will be covering this wonderful event.&nbsp; I will be joining Mallori Howington and Guilherme Torres covering the tourney and we will each be offering our perspective on teams and players to watch out for during the weekend.&nbsp; Let's “Dig” in to my take.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 Invitational</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Teams Will Be Contending For a Championship?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season proved that this age group across Texas was one of the best in the entire nation.  There are so many college prospects that are lightning it up.  It is hard to talk about championship contenders without discussing four teams who can beat anyone on any given day.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TAV 16 Black is absolutely LOADED with talent.  We have already discussed super middle [player_tooltip player_id='295124' first='Kinsley' last='Young'], lethal libero [player_tooltip player_id='235445' first='Julianna' last='Hernandez'], dynamic outside [player_tooltip player_id='318202' first='Layla' last='Austin'], and All-World setter [player_tooltip player_id='300846' first='Danielle' last='Whitmire'] in our last article.  But this team has some other players who are showcasing their awesome skills and can help lead this team to the podium on Sunday.  High-flying outside [player_tooltip player_id='235287' first='Kennedy' last='Crayton'] has one of the best verticals in the age group and also a lightning quick arm swing that scores in bunches.  Pin [player_tooltip player_id='320954' first='Kylie' last='Kleckner'] is having a phenomenal season so far.  She is scoring at such a high clip at the net.  Setter Anna Flroes is the other side of the awesome 6-2 offensive system that is making trouble for any team who tries to compete.  I like how smooth she is at moving the ball around to every hitter and putting them in one on one situations.  She spreads the ball well to balance out the attack. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dallas Skyline 16 Royal proved that they are a force to be reckoned with at stop 1.&nbsp; With attackers like [player_tooltip player_id='254082' first='Brooke' last='Lacewell'], [player_tooltip player_id='452241' first='LeVariya' last='Pinder'], [player_tooltip player_id='452239' first='Taylor' last='Clarke'], [player_tooltip player_id='253981' first='Ashlyn' last='Seay'] and [player_tooltip player_id='318137' first='Keoni' last='Williams'] leading the charge on the offensive end, it would be hard to stop them.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='241932' first='Madison' last='Victoriano'] is the real deal and is one of the best setters in this entire age group.&nbsp; She routinely proves this with her play on the court.&nbsp; I love how she doesn't let anything mess with her mental toughness during difficult times.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='196848' first='Aubree' last='Fernandez'] anchors the back row and is primed for another breakout year proving just how good she is.&nbsp; This team will contend for a championship again.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Houston Skyline has some ballers who are ready to say that they are the best of the best.&nbsp; We know this team can battle with anyone and is never afraid to showcase their fight.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='318128' first='Halle' last='Thompson'], [player_tooltip player_id='225147' first='Caroline' last='Prihoda'], [player_tooltip player_id='197468' first='Jayden' last='Robinson'], [player_tooltip player_id='318129' first='Blair' last='Thiebaud'] and crew will put their name in the hat to contend for a championship.&nbsp; They know what it takes to play with a lot of fire and no one will run over them without a challenge.&nbsp; Libero Henlee Moszkowicz had a great showing last stop in Dallas and will be ready for the fight.&nbsp; She is masterful and giving her setters a perfect pass to run their high-octane offense.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Austin Skyline 16 Royal took care of business and only lost one close three set match last tour stop by only a few points, otherwise they would have been undefeated.&nbsp; With a lineup like theirs, I am not sure that anyone would count them out of competing for a championship.&nbsp; Setters [player_tooltip player_id='318138' first='Sydney' last='Lund'] and [player_tooltip player_id='434231' first='Maggie' last='McCarroll'] are supreme leaders on the court.&nbsp; The duo of [player_tooltip player_id='318127' first='Henley' last='Anderson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='318198' first='Riley' last='Malloy'] are two of the coldest killers there are in this age group.&nbsp; They can do it all on the court and are lethal from every location and in the back row.&nbsp; Count on them having a great shot at being in the Gold bracket on Sunday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What Non-Power Pool Teams Could Sneak Up On People?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't think you can count out Austin Juniors 16 Adidas on coming out first in Challenge Pool 1.&nbsp; They have a sneaky good team who went 2-4 overall in stop one, but two of those matches went to three sets and they could easily have been 4-2 and in a power pool for stop 2.&nbsp; Middle Elsie Law plays very big at the net on the defensive end and has a motor that won't stop.&nbsp; I like the presence she has at the net for this squad.&nbsp; Outside [player_tooltip player_id='318201' first='Mya' last='Cheatum'] is super explosive and plays six rotations for a reason.&nbsp; This young lady can light it up from anywhere.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='318192' first='Julia' last='Solodky'] is proving herself in left back defensively and looks very disciplined with her posture.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='446001' first='Macy' last='Phillips'] is putting the ball exactly where it needs to be for her hitters to stay aggressive.&nbsp; This team has the schedule it needs in order to have a shot at the gold bracket.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who are some big time players who will be having a huge impact on the tournament?&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is no doubt that this age group has stars that are very bright.&nbsp; When it comes to impact on a team, there are many players who score points in one way or another, but the following players are true game changers.&nbsp; If [player_tooltip player_id='447026' first='Kaylie' last='Bourn'] continues to improve on the defensive end and blocks like she has been the past few tournaments, it could be a real difference maker for Alamo 16 Premier.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='289655' first='Lauren' last='Garcia'] will also have a huge tournament even though she is playing up an age group.&nbsp; She has the right blend of setting and offense to light up a stat book in a hurry.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='318200' first='Ava' last='Carrasquillo'] has the frame, power and setting skills to wow any college coach.&nbsp; She is the real deal and can dish the rock with the best of them as she does for Austin Performance 16 Adidas.&nbsp; They had a fantastic showing last tour stop and have moved into the top power pool to show their stuff.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='318142' first='Bella' last='Lopez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='226072' first='Dawn' last='Moore'] are two high-flying ballers for [program_tooltip program_id='431200' first='Madfrog' last=''] 16 National Green who every opposing coach needs to game plan for.&nbsp; Check these players out as they are my picks for show-stoppers during stop 2.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->