Top Player Spotlight – Bailey Tillman 2021 Libero
This month I will be rolling out some articles that are a little different than we have been writing for the past couple of months. We will still be doing our regular highlight articles on multiple athletes for exposure, however…
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Continue ReadingThis month I will be rolling out some articles that are a little different than we have been writing for the past couple of months. We will still be doing our regular highlight articles on multiple athletes for exposure, however I wanted to do some special articles on a few special athletes that we are getting to know quite well with Prep Dig TX. These young ladies volunteered to answer some questions so that we could get to know them a little bit more personally. The athletes were hand picked out of quite a few submissions that I received. My next installment is with Miss Bailey Tillman out of Houston, TX. She was picked due to her amazing play and finishing her junior volleyball career that has been filled with amazing memories and great accolades. Without further ado, here is our article on Miss Bailey Tillman.
Bailey Tillman [2021] 5-5 Libero (HS: Stephen F Austin/Club: Houston Juniors/Verbal: McNeese St)
Miss Tillman is currently an unranked prospect according to our Prep Dig State Ranking. She is a fantastic libero from the Houston area. We wrote an article on her last month highlighting her for her recent college commitment to McNeese St and here is a little from the article, “The daughter of former NFL star Spencer Tillman, she is extremely athletic and strong. She plays for the nationally ranked club program that is well known in Houston Juniors on their top open level team. She stars defensively for her Austin High School program in the southwest Houston area. She helped lead them to an overall record of 12-9 and a district record of 9-5 this past season. She has been on varsity all four years of high school and even won the district MVP as a libero during her junior season. Bailey has accumulated 1265 digs, 340 service receptions, 49 aces and 64 kills. We are excited that she made her college choice recently. She will suit up for McNeese St. next season and will impact their program immediately. Please help us congratulate her on achieving her dream of playing volleyball at the next level.” She just competed at USA Junior Nationals with her Houston Juniors squad in the Open Division as they earned their bid by taking the bronze at the Mid-East National Qualifier.
We were able to ask Bailey some personal questions so that our readers could get to know her a little better and here is a little from the conversation:
Prep Dig TX: What hobbies and interests other than volleyball do you have?
Bailey: Other hobbies that I have are singing and dancing! I love to dance with my siblings and make tik toks. I’ve actually sung the National Anthem at many volleyball tournaments. I sang at Junior Nationals my 18s year and many other years.
Prep Dig TX: What is the most played song/artist on your personal playlist?
Bailey: I love listening to Z-RO and a little Cardi B here and there! I listen to lil baby on game days.
Prep Dig TX: Tell me why you started playing volleyball.
Bailey: I started playing volleyball when I was eight years old I didn’t even know what I wanted to do with volleyball. I just picked up a ball and started playing. As time went on and I got older, I realized it was something I wanted to pursue. Volleyball is something I can do when I want to get away or take a break from something. If I have a bad day I pick up a ball and start playing. It’s my escape! The way volleyball makes me feel is amazing. The high level of competitiveness 24/7 is something I love the most. Volleyball was and is my first love.
Prep Dig TX: What keeps you motivated to get better at your craft at this point in your volleyball career?
Bailey: The competition keeps me motivated. I’m a competitive person I love to win. The feeling I get when my team wins is a feeling I will never forget. I have a total of 26 medals out of my 10 years of playing club volleyball. Not many people can say that!
Prep Dig TX: What do you love about the primary position you play?
Bailey: I love the excitement that happens when us liberos get a dig. It can change the whole momentum of a game. Defense is my specialty. I’m not afraid to dive and run and make crazy plays. That’s my favorite part! It is a huge turning point in a match.
Prep Dig TX: Name an influential player that you have played with and why they were influential to you.
Bailey: I have played with many great players, some of the best players in the Nation but one player that I grew up with and got to grow with is Skylar Fields. I played with her since I was eight years old and being able to play with her was an amazing experience. Our connection on the court was unstoppable. Every time we were back row together we made a pact that we wouldn’t let a ball drop with out going for it. Her passion and drive for the game is amazing and when we were on the court together it was a movie.
Prep Dig TX: What is the one thing you want to work on the most to be better at in your position?
Bailey: I would want to work on communicating to my hitters more. I feel like that is a huge thing because a lot of the times hitters can’t see what’s open when they are in the air so I could help out a bit more and tell them what’s open.
It is extremely special when a player can work really hard at her craft for many years and then be able to play at the next level doing what they love. As many of our readers know, it is not a given that just because you spend all the time and money on club ball that it will end in a college roster spot. Miss Tillman deserves the recognition of being a special player who gets to play college volleyball. Bailey is a prime example of someone who uses volleyball as an outlet and truly enjoys/loves the game. I, too, use volleyball as an outlet as I let practices, matches, watching videos, writing about athletes, and still playing take me to a place where nothing can touch me. When Bailey said that in her answer, I totally connected with it just as some of our readers will. We are glad that we got to know Bailey a little more personally and wish her well at McNeese State next season. We will be cheering her on from Texas!
Again, I decided to write a few articles on players such as her so that our readers can get a true understanding of what these athletes go through and how volleyball is a passion for them like it is for many of us. These players deserve all of the recognition that they can get. I will be rolling these out throughout the month along with our regular highlight articles that contain multiple athletes.
We will be publishing more articles daily to give the recognition to each athlete that has earned the right to be called a top 100 Texas Volleyball Player. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for or that you think have what it takes to be added to our database, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Lastly, Thank you to everyone for all of the shout-outs on social media, tags, emails, direct messages, and most importantly…thank you for continuing to read out publication and support us as we strive to bring attention to the wonderful and amazing players of this great big state of ours! Volley on!