FAST Pre Nationals – 17s – The Setters
The club volleyball season is quickly approaching its end, with the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC), the highlight of the year, set to happen from June 23-July 4 in Indiana. The FAST Pre Nationals tournament has established itself…
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Continue ReadingThe club volleyball season is quickly approaching its end, with the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC), the highlight of the year, set to happen from June 23-July 4 in Indiana.
The FAST Pre Nationals tournament has established itself as the final event in the Houston area ahead of the GJNC. This year, the tournament was held in three different venues on June 11-12 and offered a final opportunity for us to watch some of the best teams in the state before they had to Indiana to fight for the national title.
We were at the FAST Complex on Saturday afternoon watching the 16s and 17s Power Pools and this time are spending not one, but two weeks producing reports about the event. We completed our coverage of the 16s last week, so now it’s time to focus on the 17s, starting with the setters.
Taylor Anderson Taylor Anderson 6'0" | S Cornerstone Christian | 2023 State #21 Nation TX – Alamo 17 Premier – HS: Cornerstone Christian – 2023
Taylor Anderson Taylor Anderson 6'0" | S Cornerstone Christian | 2023 State #21 Nation TX ‘s combination of size and technique makes of her a unique asset for volleyball teams. The 6’1” playmaker has excellent ball-handling skills and is extremely intelligent and efficient with her ball distribution, typically keeping all of her hitters involved. She’s also very smart and quick to react on defense, keeping balls alive when she’s at the back. On top of that, Anderson is also a very good blocker and can turn into a lethal and productive hitter when she’s at the net.
Claire Dewine Claire Dewine 6'1" | S The Woodlands | 2023 State TX – HJV 17 Elite – HS: The Woodlands – 2023
Claire Dewine Claire Dewine 6'1" | S The Woodlands | 2023 State TX is in her first season with Houston Juniors, but it certainly feels like she’s been around for longer given the excellent chemistry she developed with the team’s hitters. She’s very accurate in her locations and consistent with her choices. Very technical and smooth, the 6’1” setter has an excellent all-around game, helping her team with her serving and defense too. Dewine is also an elite-level hitter, a weapon her coaches at both the club and the high school levels are not shy of using when she’s at the net.
Ashley Richardson Ashley Richardson 5'11" | S Clear Springs | 2024 State TX – AVA TX 17 Adidas – HS: Clear Springs – 2024
AVA TX 17 Adidas’ Ashley Richardson Ashley Richardson 5'11" | S Clear Springs | 2024 State TX is another setter in the division who doubled up as a hitter when she was at the net. The 5’11” Richardson has excellent physical tools and gets to impact the game in a variety of ways. Her setting game is very fluid and intelligent and she also adds a lot from the service line. A great jumper, Richardson is also very effective on offense, carrying a good chunk of the team’s scoring load when she’s at the net, and a productive blocker.
Abigail Montes – TAV Houston 17 Adidas – HS: Kingwood – 2023
Abigail ‘Abby’ Montes was another setter to stand out for her all-around game during the tournament. A lefty, she is very clean on her ball-handling and runs a fast-paced and very efficient offensive system. Montes stands at six feet and also takes up hitting duties when at the net. She has excellent length, but typically uses more of her court vision and technique to score than pure power.
Kelly Pawelka – Asics Willowbrook 17 Gold – HS: Klein Cain – 2024
Kelly Pawelka had a different playing style than the other setters on this list, but certainly not a less impressive one. Standing at 5’8”, she didn’t offer much in terms of hitting, but did an excellent job with her ball-handling and distribution. Extremely technical, she consistently put her hitters in a good position to score and several times fooled the blockers by setting against the flow of play. Pawelka is also very active on the backcourt.