Lauren Meza
367 digs | 78 sets | 4.7 per set

In August, she was one of the most electric liberos at Queens of the Court, sprawling to keep balls alive during Bishop Amat’s run to the semifinals. She plays club for San Gabriel Elite.

Her role at Bishop Amat has grown into one built on consistency and leadership.

“This season, my role is to be a consistent presence in the back row, help lead our defense, and communicate with my teammates. Compared to last year, I’ve become more confident and taken on more responsibility and leadership in serve receive and defense.”

She plays with strong emotional control. In pressure moments, she narrows her focus to the next pass instead of the scoreboard, a habit coaches look for in a libero who will be trusted with serve receive late in sets.

“When the pressure is on I try to stay calm and to believe in myself. I feel that confidence is key during serve receive, especially during pressure moments. I focus on making a good pass rather than worrying about the score.”

Her growth since freshman year shows up in how she reads the game. She is anticipating where the ball is going before it gets there.

“I’ve gotten better at reading hitters, anticipating where the ball is going, and communicating with my teammates.”

“I stay locked in by focusing on the next point and not letting mistakes or the score affect me. I trust my preparation, communicate with my teammates, and remind myself to stay aggressive and give my best effort on every ball.”

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Meza might’ve been one of the most electric liberos in the tournament, as she made unreal plays to keep the ball alive for her team. Whenever the ball was about to drop on her team’s side, Meza swiftly sprawled over to it to keep it alive. The scary part for opposing teams is that she’s only a sophomore and is progressively getting better.