Adidas Lone Star Classic 18s: The Unranked Prospects
The George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston was for the second week in a row the stage for a big and important volleyball tournament this past weekend as the facility hosted the 2021 Adidas Lone Star Classic 18s,…
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Continue ReadingThe George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston was for the second week in a row the stage for a big and important volleyball tournament this past weekend as the facility hosted the 2021 Adidas Lone Star Classic 18s, a national qualifier for USA Girl’s Junior National Championship.
Clubs from Texas and several other states were in action for three days at the venue with a total of 180 teams competing across three divisions. Prep Dig was at the event and followed closely the Texas teams competing at the 18 Open Division, the most competitive one, and brings to you this week the reports on the prospects that stood out at the Lone Star Classic.
It’s easy to focus on the big names when covering a tournament but our mission at Prep Dig is to look at every possible prospect, so here are a few unranked players who showed a promising game last weekend.
Mekaila Aupiu – Setter – Houston Skyline 18 Royal – HS: Klein Collins – 2021
Mekaila Aupiu ran the show for a Houston Skyline 18 Royal team that lost a single match during the entire weekend. The 5’10” setter impressed with her great ball distribution and her accuracy when setting teammates up at the net. She also adds to the game in other areas with her strong blocking and dangerous serving. Aupiu will play at the collegiate level for the University of Texas at San Antonio.
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Dakota Rogers-Hurtado – Middle-Blocker – Excel 18 National Red – HS: Boyd – 2021
Dakota Rogers-Hurtado provided a solid presence at the net for Excel 18 National Red during the tournament. The 6’1” middle-blocker keeps thing simple, but is extremely efficient and gets the job done on both sides of the ball. She has a strong blocking presence which is boosted by her impressive footwork and is very reliable on offense. The future of her career will be at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Kealy Giddens – Libero – Madfrog 18’s N Green – HS: Lovejoy – 2021
Kealy Giddens was part of Lovejoy’s State Championship-winning team during the high school but didn’t have a lot of opportunities to play in such a loaded roster. That chance came last weekend and she made the most of it, showcasing her solid defensive skills for Madfrog 18’s N Green. Besides her strong digging and passing game, the 5’6” Giddens also showed she can fire some deadly serves with her left arm and that she does a good job when called upon to set from the backcourt.
Emily Adams – Outside Hitter – Houston Skyline 18 Black – HS: Bridgeland – 2021
Emily Adams did a great job for Houston Skyline 18 Black proving little contributions that made the team better during the tournament. The 5’10” outside hitter, who will play for the University of Louisiana Monroe at the collegiate level, played a central role in the team’s passing and digging efforts and also knew her way the net. She was particularly important with her serving ability and took the match against T3 18 Elite Brian over with several consecutive aces.
Maya Green – Middle-Blocker – 915 18 Gilbert – HS: Americas – 2021
Maya Green is a very unconventional player due to the fact that she’s one of very few lefties to play as a middle-blocker. She’s 5’10” and does a good job in that position because of her impressive jumping skills, which put her right up there with some of her tallest opponents. Green also has a bazooka of a left arm, which she uses to create damage at the net and also from the service line.