Nets Over Texas #1 – 16s – Outside Hitters
More than 80 club volleyball teams were active this past weekend in Houston with the first stop of the Nets Over Texas event taking place in three different venues in the area. The tournament had two divisions, with 17s and…
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Continue ReadingMore than 80 club volleyball teams were active this past weekend in Houston with the first stop of the Nets Over Texas event taking place in three different venues in the area.
The tournament had two divisions, with 17s and 18s paired in a single event and the 16s playing in one of their own. We followed the 16s tournament and spent most of the Saturday in the Asics Willowbrook facility, where 24 of the 41 entered teams competed.
It was a great opportunity to spot young talent in the state of Texas and we’ve been presenting our findings here over the course of the week. This time, we’ll highlight some outside hitters who were pivotal to their teams.
Outside Hitters
Avery Craig – Renegades 16 Black – HS: Tomball Memorial – 2024
Avery Craig was easily one of the most complete players in the tournament. She was probably the most important player of a strong Renegades 16 Black team because of her ability to impact the game in a lot of different aspects. The 5’10” Craig gives her team great rhythm with her backcourt skills and is also a high-volume scorer at the net with tremendous power and a vast arsenal of shots. Craig is also a very good server and helped the team from the service line as well.
Kayleigh Hudnall – Asics Willowbrook 16 Gold – HS: Cy-Fair – 2024
Kayleigh Hudnall impresses with her physical skills as she’s not very tall at 5’8” but is a great jumper and has a heavy and fast arm. The outside hitter was the most used and one of the most effective hitters of her Asics Willowbrook 16 Gold team in the event. Hudnall does a great job in using her power and intelligence and that combination allows her to score even in the hardest situations, be it be tooling the block or with a smart tip.
Addie Hodges – HOU Stellar 16 Select – HS: Clear Creek – 2024
Addie Hodges does everything a coach would expect from an outside hitter. She has great technique and helps HOU Stellar 16 Select on the backcourt with solid defensive and passing skills, but is probably even more valuable at the net. The outside hitter has good size and power, but is also very creative with her shot selection. She’s not afraid to hit the ball hard against a tall block standing in front of her but is also smart enough to understand when a finesse shot would do it and to execute it. Hodges has a very complete game and should only continue developing it over the years.
Jaylin Lewis – HOU Stars 16 Silver – 2024
Jaylin Lewis is well aware of her role as one of the most important players of her HOU Stars 16 Silver team. The outside hitter is very intense and takes responsibility for the team’s success on both sides of the ball. She does a great job in defense and has exceptional posture on the backcourt, lowering her center of gravidity to move and keeping her eyes on the ball the entire time. Lewis is also very efficient on offense despite her limited size and she doesn’t shy away from asking for the ball in clutch moments of the match.