Skyline Classic #12 – Liberos
The tail end of the club volleyball season represents an interesting scouting opportunity for us at Prep Dig. While most of the top teams and prospects avoid competing every week and set their eyes on the big prize – the…
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Continue ReadingThe tail end of the club volleyball season represents an interesting scouting opportunity for us at Prep Dig. While most of the top teams and prospects avoid competing every week and set their eyes on the big prize – the National Championship -, the others are still out there, trying to make the most of every opportunity they have to be on the court.
The few tournaments that are still taking place bring a unique opportunity for us to watch players we otherwise wouldn’t if the big dogs were still around and do our best to make the most out of it and give the emerging talents the exposure they deserve.
This past weekend I was at the Skyline Classic #12, a nine-team tournament reuniting 16s teams from the Houston area at the popular Houston Skyline Juniors club. I’m sharing my findings during the week and today I’ll list the most notable liberos of the event.
Anna Leland – TAV Houston 15 Blue – HS: College Park – 2025
Anna Leland was one of the most solid passers in the entire tournament and her always precise first contact helped ignite her team’s TAV Houston 15 Blue offense. Very quick and technical, the 5’4” Leland did a great job in moving for the ball and was even better with her ball control. She was also a productive defender, thriving on her excellent positioning on the backcourt.
Eden Fairfield – Catalyst 16 Green – HS: Foster – 2024
Eden Fairfield offered a reliable and reassuring presence on the backcourt to Catalyst 16 Green. Very active, the diminutive defender checked all the boxes for her position, starting with her solid and very precise passing. Fairfield is also an excellent defender as she has great reflexes, which were shown in some one-handed digs she made. The defender also helps her team score points with her dangerous serves.
Skylar Herring – Allegiance 16 Royal – 2024
Another libero that helped her team with more than her defensive skills, Skylar Herring had a couple of long serving runs with her Allegiance 16 Royal team. She’s always very calm on the court and nothing seems to faze her on defense, which leads her to make good decisions under pressure. Herring has excellent ball control and is very good with her movement, a combination that allows her to get to balls not many others would.
Elena Esquivel – Asics Willowbrook 16 White – 2025
Elena Esquivel joined Asics Willowbrook this year, coming from Houston Juniors , and immediately took over the libero duties, which she splits with Brooke Bryan. Esquivel does an excellent job on the backcourt, providing great consistency and reliability with her passing and working hard to recover deflected balls. She’s very quick and intelligent with her movement too.
Halle Nordt – Catalyst 16 Emerald – HS: Fulshear – 2024
The fact that Halle Nordt was part of a stacked Fulshear team last season speaks volumes about her potential. She’s very consistent with her game and makes very few mistakes, two things any coach would love to have on a libero. Nordt is very aware of her role with the team and fulfills it extremely well, giving her teammates tremendous confidence.