Texas Pin Hitters to Watch at U18 Nationals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025-2026 club season is just about to end for the class of 2026 players, as this weekend, many of them will compete in the season-ending 2026 USA Volleyball Girls U18 Junior National Championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The three-day event will take place between Friday and Sunday in Reno, Nevada, and feature nearly 500 teams from all over the country, which will compete in its seven divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state of Texas will be represented by as many as 53 teams, which are spread across the divisions - American (9), Freedom (4), Liberty (9), National (5), Open (6), Patriot (5) and USA (15).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be the last opportunity to see some of the most talented players from the Lone Star State in action with their club jerseys, and, as the start of the event approaches, we're pointing out some of them who are definitely worth watching one final time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we look into the outside hitters:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["254302"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efdf28596fd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jackson is a key player in the [program_tooltip program_id='431200' first='Madfrog' last=''] 18's N Green team that will compete in the Open Division. An elite scorer, she has the firepower to go up against any blocker or defender, but is also very smart with her decision-making, which gives her offensive game stability and consistency. The pin hitter is at her best at the net when hitting a quick set at the pin, as she uses her vision to take full advantage of scrambling blockers and defenders. Jackson is a very strong all-around player who also passes and blocks well and plays excellent defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["318201"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efdf285978c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cheatum and her AJV 18 Adidas team are set to appear in the USA Division in Nevada. Combining impressive athletic and technical skills, she's an elite pin hitter who can carry her team's offense on any given day and against anyone. Capable of playing on both pins, Cheatum gets off the floor extremely well, and not many blockers can keep up with her incredibly high contact point. Even though her energy and power are probably what draw the most attention to her game, another reason for her stellar offensive production is her ability to see the court and send the ball wherever she wants with well-placed shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["318132"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efdf28597eb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Udoye will be in action in the USA Division, representing Austin Skyline 18 Royal. Very few players in the state have her combination of size and skills, and she makes the most of it to be a difference-maker for Skyline. Standing at 6'2" and extremely physical and aggressive at the net, Udoye is very difficult to stop at the net and stands out for her ability to keep her level high in moments of pressure. She's among the best pin blockers in Texas, going up very high at the net and taking up a lot of space from opposing hitters, and is also very reliable with her passing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["433610"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efdf2859839"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Meche will be with NRG VBC 18 AMPD Navy in the Liberty Division in Reno. Her two-way game makes a major impact on the court and is a big part of what her team does. Meche is a very dynamic offensive player who can battle against anyone at the net because of how well she gets off the floor and how quick and powerful her right arm is. She also stands out in the back row, demonstrating superior ball control to deliver accurate passes and an impressive fighting spirit to make defensive plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["318145"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69efdf2859885"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Tuiasosopo will be an impact player in the STVA 18-1 Eddie team that's entered in the USA Division. Capable of playing both on the left and the right, she's a dynamic and aggressive scorer who has solid athleticism and intriguing resources to put the ball down. Tuiasosopo has a high contact point and many shots in her arsenal, picking the right options time and time again to beat blockers and defenders. She's also a solid back-row contributor, stepping up to be part of the team's serve-receive system and coming up with nice digs in the middle back position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->