Outside Hitters Who Did It All at FAST Pre Nationals 17s Division

Teams from many different regions in the state of Texas competed this past weekend in the FAST Pre Nationals tournament, an event held in the Houston area that offered them an opportunity to fine-tune their games ahead of the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship at the end of the month.   The tournament featured 98 club teams from the Lone Star State, split into six age groups, which competed in three venues in the Houston area.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/06/fast-pre-nationals-17s-division-photos/">FAST Pre Nationals - 17s Division Photos</a></li> </ul>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DZleFKzjkYk/ </div></figure>   Prep Dig Texas was in attendance at FAST Complex on both days. We got to watch the Gold Bracket of the 17s Division on Sunday and are now featuring the players who delivered strong performances.   These outside hitters were solid on both sides of the ball:    Baillio played a key role in HJV 15 Elite's undefeated campaign of seven victories that took them to the top of the standings. Her efficient and consistent game was of great help as her team found its way to the top. A strong offensive player, Baillio is very impressive with her incredible decision-making, which allows her to find the best solution to each situation. She has the power to overcome blockers and defenders, but is also very intelligent and can execute difficult plays under pressure at a very high level. The outside hitter also kept her passing always on point.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/2J4A0130.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-996268" /></figure>    With Niu at the pin, AJV 15 Elite took second place in the division with a campaign of six wins and a loss. Strong and powerful, she was her team's go-to scorer and handled the responsibility very well, making excellent choices at the pin and showing great vision to hit different angles from the middle back position. Niu also contributed with her big, well-balanced blocking, which got opponents under pressure at the pin. She was very confident and reliable with her passing, too, covering a large portion of the court and efficiently handling the serves that went her way.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/2J4A0104.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-996256" /></figure>    Barnett was pivotal in the [program_tooltip program_id='745880' first='Houston' last='Stellar'] 16 Elite team that tied for third after registering three wins and two losses. The outside hitter used her length extremely well at the net and managed to consistently put the ball down from the left and the right. Barnett was very good at finding ways around the block, but she also demonstrated the firepower to do it when she couldn't. She was very reliable and confident with her passing, stepping up to handle serves and doing it very efficiently.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/2J4A0116_3b617f.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-996261" /></figure>    Reed featured for the AVA TX 16 Adidas side that tied for fifth with a campaign of three wins and two losses. A well-rounded player, she was involved in most of what her team did on the court, positively impacting their production with her reliable game. Reed had great success on the offensive side of the game, combining power and precision to beat opposing blockers even when they knew she was going to get the ball. The outside hitter also held her own on the back row, keeping her passing steady and coming up with nice digs.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/2J4A0071.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-996246" /></figure>    Gordon was with the Premier 16 Black A team that secured four wins and a loss to tie for fifth place. A shorter outside hitter, she made the most of her technical skills to deliver on both sides of the ball and make an impact in her team's game. Gordon was very good in serve-receive, moving very quickly to the ball and showing excellent ball control to deliver accurate passes to her setter. Offensively, she got off the floor well and thrived by finding ways to hit around the block and score off tips. Gordon had a very reliable and accurate topspin jump serve, which often got opponents out of system.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/2J4A0109_1298f4-crop-5270x3458-1781480256.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-996279" /></figure>

Teams from many different regions in the state of Texas competed this past weekend in the FAST Pre Nationals tournament, an event held in the Houston area that offered them an opportunity to fine-tune their games ahead of the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship at the end of the month.