KISD/CFISD Varsity Tournament: Five Outstanding Liberos
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The high volleyball season is just around the corner in the Great State of Texas and the initial part of the calendar is typically loaded with varsity tournaments, which provide us with great opportunities of having an early look at…
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Continue ReadingThe high volleyball season is just around the corner in the Great State of Texas and the initial part of the calendar is typically loaded with varsity tournaments, which provide us with great opportunities of having an early look at how teams and prospects are shaping up for the season.
The second weekend of August will have one of those, the Katy ISD/Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Varsity Tournament, which will reunite as many as 48 teams from the Houston area and beyond for three days of competition between August 11-13 across eight high schools in the region.
We’ll follow some of those matches and bring our reports to you right after the end of the event, but before it starts, let’s highlight some of the most promising prospects that will be on the court during the event. In the final piece of the series, let’s point out some liberos we believe will have excellent performances in the tournament.
One of Jordan’s strengths coming into the season will be their backcourt, which is led by Abby Hoss Abby Hoss 5’4″ | DS/L Jordan | 2023 TX . The 5’5” defender, who also plays on the sand, is very dynamic and productive and does an excellent job of keeping the ball off the floor. She’s very technical and intelligent and a consistent passer, but perhaps her main asset on the backcourt is her reaction speed. Hoss produced 291 digs, 777 passes and 30 aces in the last high school season.
Highlights
Alondra Guardado
Alondra Guardado
Alondra Guardado is expected to grow into a larger role with her Mayde Creek team after having limited playing time last season. The 5’8” prospect is versatile and can play as an outside hitter too, but her main strengths are on the backcourt, which makes of her a better fit for the libero position. Guardado has excellent ball control and is very consistent with her passing and defense, besides being extremely productive from the service line too.
Hanna Carlsson
Hanna Carlsson
Hanna Carlsson is part of an interesting Heights team that, in almost its entirety, plays together at the club level too with Liberty Stars Elite. Although she’s been used as an outside hitter, the 5’6” prospect is at her best when playing defense, where she makes the most of her great ball control and superior positioning. Carlsson is also a dangerous server and has amassed 357 digs, 356 passes and 73 aces in two seasons of high school volleyball.
It’s truly impressive how much ground Gemma Hopkins Gemma Hopkins 5’5″ | DS/L Tomball | 2023 State TX can cover on the backcourt. The 5’5” defender has excellent range on defense, combining her great positioning with tremendous quickness and reaction speed. Keeping the ball under control while stretching your body or diving for it is not easy, but when it’s Hopkins doing it, it certainly doesn’t look as complicated. She has been a stud for her high school team Tomball and will very likely surpass 1,000 digs and passes in her high school career as she enters her senior season with 845 and 916, respectively.
Highlights
A player with excellent command of the backcourt, Olivia Abbott Olivia Abbott 5’7″ | OH Stratford | 2023 TX is one of the key pieces of her Stratford team. The 5’7” prospect is nearly flawless on serve-receive and is also very active on the backcourt when it comes to digging balls. Abbott has excellent technique and ball control and makes a great impact on the game with her ability to keep the ball in play and her consistency. She has 784 digs, 775 passes and 64 aces in just two high school seasons.