2022 Liberos to Watch Across Texas – Updates
It’s time we show some love to the Liberos of the state. We are going to cover three defensive geniuses that we have previously written about but have been following very closely in their high school season that is just…
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Continue ReadingIt’s time we show some love to the Liberos of the state. We are going to cover three defensive geniuses that we have previously written about but have been following very closely in their high school season that is just underway. They are from all over Texas and from the 2022 junior class. These young ladies deserve some recognition and are a joy to watch. Most people love to watch the offensive players bang, but true volleyball aficionados like myself and you reading our articles, will break out the popcorn to see some of these kids sprawl all over the court. These floor generals have been covered by numerous publications recently for their play and I wanted to join the action and give them some love with some updates on what I have been seeing.
Jaci Mesa Jaci Mesa 5'6" | DS/L Smithson Valley | 2022 State TX [2022] 5-6 Libero (HS: Smithson Valley/Club: Alamo/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Jaci is currently ranked as the the 18th best player in the 2022 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. The very first article I wrote about Jaci went something like this, “Very athletic libero Jaci Mesa Jaci Mesa 5'6" | DS/L Smithson Valley | 2022 State TX is a sight to see. Very little falls near her zone. She covers a lot more ground that one would think when looking at her. She has a laser focus when playing on the court that is refreshing to watch. She is uncommitted as of now but that should change soon once colleges get to take a closer look at her. Liberos and Defensive Specialists are flooded in the volleyball landscape, but Miss Mesa is one that stands out. Her balance while on serve receive is picturesque and she freezes very well to deliver a perfect ball to the setter. Her Alamo team is very blessed to have her commanding the back row. This is why I think she is one of the best in the 2022 Class in Texas.” None of this has changed…actually it has only gotten better. She is one of the main leaders of her Smithson Valley high school program who has been on a tear in the young season. They are ranked as the fourth best team in the San Antonio area by numerous publications. As I stated back in the spring, her defensive range is phenomenal and her ability to stop on a dime and change direction for emergency digs is top notch. She possesses fast twitch muscle fibers that allow her athleticism to shine. Whatever college she attends will be improved by her play. She is still, in my humbled opinion, the top libero in her class.
Ireland McCauley Ireland McCauley 5'5" | DS/L Vandergrift | 2022 State #173 Nation TX [2022] 5-5 Libero (HS: Vandergrift/Club: Austin Skyline/Verbal: West Virginia)
Ireland comes in ranked as the 45th best prospect in the state of Texas in the 2022 class. She is the 4thbest libero in her class, which is littered with phenoms in this position. In our first article on Ireland we wrote this, “Ireland has some of the best reflexes I have seen in a while. They are lightning quick for any age/class. Her hand-eye coordination is second to none. Being a student of the game, I could watch her play the position solely on defense for hours. I’ve seen some attackers absolutely unload on a set and while all eyes are trying to find the ball after its hit, Ireland says, “NOPE! Not today ma’am”. She uses emergency techniques so well like she trains them consistently. I would love to see her training regimen on these skills. I can’t say enough about this kid. Her range is superb, her platform touch on the ball is amazing, and her tenacity to pursue a ball is astounding.” We are happy to announce that this young lady just committed to West Virginia University and we couldn’t be more proud. She will do great things for the Mountaineer program. As of right now, she is leading her lady Viper high school team to some great wins. She has been named to a few awesome lists like the AVCA phenoms and the All-Vype 6A pre-season team. We agree with those publications and this is why we have her ranked so high on our list. She has Vandergrift high school team playing extremely well and we are expecting some great things from them in the playoffs.
Keegan O’Connor Keegan O’Connor 5'2" | DS/L Weatherford | 2022 State TX [2022] 5-3 Libero (HS: Weatherford/Club: Muscle /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Keegan O’Connor Keegan O’Connor 5'2" | DS/L Weatherford | 2022 State TX is ranked as the 80th best high school prospect in the 2022 class in the State of Texas. We have written a few articles on Keegan. The most recent one said this, “Miss O’Connor is a very quick and athletic libero who was born to play the position. Don’t let her size fool you. She has the fight of a giant inside of her. Originally from the Chicago area, Keegan moved to Texas and has had to fight to earn her respect in the sport of volleyball. And boy has she earned it. She is beginning to receive high praise from many sports outlets and it is due. I love her work ethic and her desire to excel in her position on the court. She has a phenomenal serve that floats so well and stifles opponents. What sets her apart from other liberos is her touch on the ball. She has an uncanny ability to absorb hard driven contact from any angle and it comes off of her platform very well to the setter. Her emergency technique digs are a sight to see and she will always keep her team in the fight with her on the back row. She has ball control with both her platform and her hands to receive the ball and it is always at target once she contacts. I think coaches should keep an eye on this young lady as she continues to progress. She is able to play at the next level if someone gives her the chance.” This kid continues to amaze everyone. She has recently surpassed the 1000 dig mark in a very short period of time. She has also been named Defensive MVP last year for her district and also named to the AVCA phenom watch list. She is one reason why her Lady Roo volleyball team has been undefeated in district so far at 6-0. Overall they are 11-2 on the young season and Keegan is a big reason why. We are expecting some great things from them in the playoffs as well. With Keegan at the helm of their defense they are poised for a good run.
There are many more amazing Liberos that we will continue to cover this year in all classes. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Texas Family!