H-Town Showdown #1 – Players to Watch: Liberos
The club volleyball season continues at full pace in the state of Texas and, as one of the most popular areas of the Lone Star state, the Houston region is one of the hotspots of the sport, hosting tournaments every…
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Continue ReadingThe club volleyball season continues at full pace in the state of Texas and, as one of the most popular areas of the Lone Star state, the Houston region is one of the hotspots of the sport, hosting tournaments every weekend.
This Saturday, the biggest event in the region will be the H-Town Showdown #1, a tournament that will feature nearly 200 teams in the 16s, 17s and 18s Divisions and that will be played across three clubs in the area – the Absolute Volleyball Academy (AVA), the FAST Complex and the Texas Tornados .
We’ve picked some very interesting players that will be on the court in the event to highlight and in this piece our focus will be the liberos set to compete in the tournament:
Olivia Abbott Olivia Abbott 5'7" | OH Stratford | 2023 TX – AVA TX 17 Adidas – HS: Stratford – 2023
A well-respected libero out of the Houston Area, Olivia Abbott Olivia Abbott 5'7" | OH Stratford | 2023 TX is an extremely reliable defensive player, who gives a lot of stability to the teams she plays for. The 5’7” libero had another stellar high school season with Stratford, tallying 523 digs, 453 passes and 46 aces. She spent part of the season filling in as a setter and registered 392 assists as well. Abbott excels due to her great reading of the game, which often places her at the right place at the right time, and her excellent ball control. Recently named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom List, she ranks 137th in our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings.
Hayden Mason – HJV 16 Adidas – HS: Memorial – 2024
Hayden Mason was part of Memorial’s Junior Varsity team during the last high school season as the Mustangs had a lot of depth in their backcourt. But since the club season started, she’s been showing that she has what it takes to compete at the next level. The 5’5” Mason, who’s in her first year with Houston Juniors, is an excellent defender, who combines good positioning and ball control with superior reflexes and the ability to react fast. Expect her game to just continue improving the more she competes at a higher level.
Autumn Walker – AVA TX 18 Power – HS: Barbers Hill – 2022
A reliable libero with excellent ball control and outstanding consistency, Autumn Walker has already made the move to the next level as she committed with Lasell University. Perhaps the biggest positive feature of the 5’3” defender, who’s also a fantastic tennis player for her high school Barbers Hill, is her ability to keep things simple and always prefer efficient solutions to flashy ones. Anyone watching Walker play the game leaves with the impression that volleyball is somewhat of a simple sport because of the way she goes after every ball.