2020 Round Rock Texas Major
by Fredric Hinkle
This Major is filled with mashup teams.
There aren’t many official teams in this one.
It will be interesting to see which team meshes best.
Gold
Magic from Six - Grant Laughlin and Colton Mowry - Texas A&M and WySpike
Colton seemed to have played well with the cramping Hornok in Wylie while Grant was an RPR leader in the field. It would be a horrific disappointment if this team loses. The only way I see that happening would be an absolutely spectacular performance from their opponents combined with both of them going cold.
Red - Bradley Thompson and Caleb Cummings - Baylor
Rough day for the overheating Caleb in Wylie. This team ran into one of Rahul’s strongest performances we’ve seen. Brad turned around and won the Wylie KOTP featuring many top WySpike players. Who knows what to expect from this team.
WySpike CrossBearers - Luke Mowry and Nick Noguez - WySpike
Luke Mowry looks to be playing more confidently than ever before. He played great in the Wylie Major and WySpike KOTP. Nick took Second in Wylie but struggled in the KOTP. It would be a poor showing for this team not to podium
WySpike Coconut - David Louis and Matthew Burrows - WySpike
David Louis won Gold League and got 2nd in Wylie, but somehow missed the finals in Wylie KOTP. Burrows played well getting 2nd in Albuquerque then struggled in the Waco KOTP and sat out of Wylie due to injury. It is very hard to tell where Matthew really is as a player.
SFX - Fredric Hinkle and Ethan McWhirter - Texas A&M and UT
Ethan’s performance was lackluster in Gold League and in Waco KOTP. He played very well in the Wylie Major to beat Dylan and Rich. If ever there is an opportunity to post a big result it’s with Fredric. Fredric had one of his worst Texas performances ever in Wylie and is looking to rebound in a big way. These players both have something to prove.
Dye Up - Dylan Keen and Rahul Murthy - Texas A&M
Who knows where this team came from. Rahul has had some very awkward results recently, with his double forfeit win in Wylie and his loss to Bubble Boys in Huntington. He also won a tight Gold League finals. Dylan had one of his worst outings in the Wylie Major with a loss to Ethan McWhirter and Josh Weinbach. If we know anything about Rahul though, never count him out. It is certain that he will be looking for the big recovery win.
LoneStar Implications
Luke Mowry is looking to qualify for LoneStar with a podium finish, he’s playing confidently and he should be able to make it happen.
Brad Thompson also has a shot at qualifying for LoneStar as the only other non-LoneStar premier player in the field
Author Predictions
Magic from Six
Dye Up
WySpike Coconut
Advanced
The top 2 teams in the Advanced Division will earn Gold qualification for future majors!
There are a handful of Gold Players in Advanced
and this is a very strong advanced field
The A Team - Adrian Garza and Addison LaRue - Round Rock Hub
The home team will attempt to defend their hub from all the other Texas teams coming in. 2 Short Kings taking on the rest of Texas’ advanced teams. These two are hardcore on the grind in the Round Rock Hub and hungry to qualify!
Oso Smooth - Chase Meyer and Alli Jennerich - Baylor
Alli was unsuccessful in her quest for Gold in Wylie. She is back with a Gold partner in this attempt. If Alli can hold consistently this team will win. Chase will no doubt be absolutely wrecking people with his newfound consistency on the lefty serve!
Flat Earther - Trevor Hoogendoorn and Katie Parker - Baylor
“Trevor Hoogendoorn is a certified noobstomper.” - Matt Cole
We saw this well demonstrated in his third at 2019 Fall Sectionals and his 3rd in the Origin winter KOTP. Katie Parker played terrific defensive roundnet in Albuquerque. She is lining up her challenge as the top female player in Texas.
Hard 90 - Ryan Messick and Blake Henke - Texas A&M
They showed well by beating Kyle Walsh and Matt Purvis in the A&M Intrasquad tournament. This team features thunderous serves and spectacular athleticism from each. This is the first major for each and they come in with high hopes.
BareFoot Spike - Parker Jackson and Isaiah Saucedo - Texas A&M
Likely the most athletic team in the field. Expect defense, defense, and more defense. If you struggle with shot selection, you will struggle against this team. They’ve beaten Hard 90 and challenged other A&M Advanced teams. If they have enough energy to play the whole day they could make gold happen.
Body Shots - Colby Medina and Sebastian LaCouture
Sebastian has had strong results in the past. Colby is newer to the scene and is improving fast. If they can combine that experience and serveball nature, this team will have a good day. The only question will be serve receive.
Freddy’s Prospects - Ryan Canfield and Luke Moran - Texas A&M
RIP to the rest of the Advanced field. This is Luke Moran’s first tournament in 11 months and he is a much better player than last time. This team had been making tremendously huge progress last fall, and I expect it to resume. Ryan is the most established player in this field and by far the best serveballer while Luke is the best at every other skill.
Author Predictions
Freddy’s Prospects
Hard 90
Flat Earther
Barefoot Spike
Go team.