Prosper vs. Lovejoy – Players to Watch
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The high school season is set to officially start in the state of Texas and we can’t wait to give you the best coverage of everything that’s going to happen across the Lone Star State for the most part of…
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Continue ReadingThe high school season is set to officially start in the state of Texas and we can’t wait to give you the best coverage of everything that’s going to happen across the Lone Star State for the most part of the next four months.
Expect, as usual, for us to center our coverage around promoting the most intriguing prospects around the state with articles that will highlight their standout performances and statistical milestones and also team features.
As much as possible, we’ll also try to every Tuesday and Friday preview an interesting match that’s set to happen around the state, pointing out the most impressive prospects that will be on the court in that particular encounter.
We start it today, taking a look at the top prospects that will feature in the match reuniting Prosper and three-time defending champions Lovejoy on Tuesday, August 9, at 6 pm, in the Dallas area.
Prosper
Originally a middle blocker, the 6’4” Ames was mostly used at the pin last season with Prosper and the new role unlocked new and interesting aspects of her game. She continued to be a force at the net, producing 455 kills and 50 blocks, but also showed some important versatility on the backcourt, tallying 339 passes and 138 digs. A player of Ames’ quality can only benefit from playing multiple positions at such a young age and we’re really excited to see her develop even more.
Even with Ames playing at the pin, Prosper continues to be really solid in the middle, especially due to Chaney’s presence. She’s very long and athletic at 6’2” and uses her length well to make an impact on the court. Chaney has been considerably productive for Prosper over the years, having produced 455 kills, 130 blocks and 57 aces over the last three seasons.
Returning a starting setter is typically the first step for a good team to remain competitive and Prosper will have the benefit of having the talented Kieffer running their offense or another season. The 5’10” playmaker is excellent at what she does and has been a key contributor to the team since her freshman season, having amassed 1,252 assists, 322 digs and 45 aces over the course of three years.
Lovejoy
Lovejoy’s third-best scorer in the last season, the 6’3” Gonzalez is expected to have an even larger role with the team after the senior-heavy core that guided the program to three-straight state titles has graduated. Gonzalez is very physical but also very sound technically and has tallied 496 kills and 220 blocks in three seasons with Lovejoy.
The talented Wu has earned quite a reputation by playing excellent volleyball with her club team TAV but hasn’t had such a prominent role with Lovejoy as she competed for playing time with two of the team’s main stars in Averi Carlson and Rosemary Archer. With the two now graduated, it will be the 5’10” Wu running the show for the team this year with her usual pace and calm on the ball.
The 5’6” Brand will be another one with big shoes to fill taking over the libero position from the great Ava Camacho. The two did a great job playing together in the last season and now it will be up to Brand to keep the team’s strength on the backcourt. Based on the 363 digs, 505 passes and 45 aces she produced last season playing as a defensive specialist, it shouldn’t be that much of a problem.