Prospect Spotlight – Avery Fowler – 2022 Setter
Every now and then we will do some special articles on those that are very deserving of an individual highlight to showcase their accolades. This week we will give special recognition to Miss Avery Fowler from Oak Ridge High School and…
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Continue ReadingEvery now and then we will do some special articles on those that are very deserving of an individual highlight to showcase their accolades. This week we will give special recognition to Miss Avery Fowler from Oak Ridge High School and TAV Houston. We were able to get some information from her club director and club coach about her as we watched her lead her team at the Girls Junior National Championships in Vegas this summer. We are proud to introduce you to Miss Fowler:
Avery Fowler [2022] 5-8 Setter (HS: Oak Ridge/Club: TAV Houston/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Avery is currently unranked according to our Prep Dig State Rankings List, but that will change next month as we release our new updates. She is a smooth setter who can do it all on the court for her teams. She is a tremendous leader for her team and is a fierce competitor on the court. She has a great feel for the position as she is accustomed to running a 5-1 for almost every team she plays for. As a setter, this young lady can push the ball with ease to any location and consistently hit her target over and over. I watched her move the ball around so well to all of her hitters whether the team was in-system or not. We love her athleticism and her ability to jump set from anywhere on the court. So far in her two-year career on varsity at Oak Ridge, Miss Fowler has amassed 890 assists, 542 digs, 83 kills, and 67 aces. Last year she helped Oak Ridge to a 19-5 overall record and a 7-3 district record. Due to her play she was awarded 1stTeam All-District and 2ndTeam All County. We have a feeling that she will have a great senior season and will be keeping a close eye on her.
When speaking with TAV Houston Director Joe Lind about Avery, he mentions, “she is a game changer for her team.” She has been with their program for a long time and that shows her commitment and loyalty to a program. That kind of attitude in a young player and family is something that is rare in this day and age and should be commended.
Her 17’s coach and TAV Assistant Director Branden Smeltzer has some great things to say as well. He stated to me, “I first noticed Avery Fowler around our gym when she was 14 and I immediately knew she was going to be a baller. I specifically remember her 15s year. Our 15s team came close to qualifying multiple times, but just fell short. They found that they were an at large awardee, went to nationals and Avery set all the way around, leading the team to a top 10 Open finish.”
He also mentioned that even during time off, this young lady always wants to improve. He told me, “Fast forward to Covid, when the world shut down in the middle of her 16s season, she asked me what she needed to work on. I talked to her about her catch point being all over the place and sent her some video on Lauren Carlini and Courtney Thompson. I then saw Avery in the gym setting thousands of balls focusing specifically on getting the ball on her hairline.” It is very special when a player takes extra time on their own to correct habits and get better at their craft. Every college coach wants to recruit what we in the coaching world call “gym rats”. They are those special players that love to train and love to play the game every chance they get. Miss Fowler is someone that every college coach would love to have in their gym and especially lead their team.
He went on to tell me more about her now and the things she does well on the court for his team/program. “This year, her 17s year has been great. I’ve done this for 22 years and coached a lot of setters and Avery is the best I’ve had. She keeps our hitters in-system when it seems impossible. She takes great pride in her defense and ended the season as our best server. Avery has no problem holding her teammates accountable and leads by example.” After watching her more in person in Vegas, I agree with Branded when he told me, “Whoever ends up picking this kid up is getting a steal.” She is on our watch list and you should stay tuned to see where she ends up on our State Rankings. If you are a college coach and are in need of a stellar leader on your roster, you should give this kid a look or two as you will not be disappointed. Because of the position she plays, she will be a great addition to any team.
We will be publishing more articles weekly to give recognition to those athletes who are playing great and deserve a highlight. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone that you think deserves to be recognized as a player of the week, feel free to send me a message with their information. Or if you have anyone 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. As always, thanks for following our publication.