Finishing off the 2021 season, no one expected the Texas Tyrants to finish in 5th place with three other teams, unable to pull through the quarter-finals and make a deeper run in the playoffs. Especially after the Tyrants finished 2nd during the regular season, just coming shy of two winning sets for first after tying in points with the Vegas Ramblers.
Despite the unfortunate outcomes of being knocked out in the first round of post-season competition, the Tyrants still came away with some players within the Top 10 rankings. These stats are based on player’s regular season and playoff performances, excluding players who have not played ten or more sets or have not made 100 attempts or more.
Gianluca Grasso was awarded the Best OH2 during the closing ceremony of the championship event, mainly due to his points production during the season. With 163 points, Gian was ranked 2nd for ‘best scorer’ (total points) and 6th for points per set, averaging 4.29 (163/38). For his defensive stats, Gian ranked 4th for reception averaging 91% (161/176) positive passes and 7th in total digs with 75. Then lastly, tying for 8th for total aces at 10
Daniel Jacobs showed to be a lethal weapon for his team when he came off the bench, ranking 7th in attack efficiency, hitting at 48% (62/128).
Daniel’s efficiency was also linked to Isaiah Acfalle’s success as the “pinch” setter. Isaiah ranked 2nd among setters for efficiency on assists averaging 35.56% [(68-5-15)/135].
Anthony Robinson pulled off quite an impressive season as he finally got a significant starting time after leaving the Matadors. He tied for 8th for total blocks with 17 and was even selected for the dream team for top OH2 after event three.
Libero Julian Rivera, a surprise pick-up, was instrumental in the team’s defense. He finished 2nd for passing with a 92% (191/207) positive reception and was even NUMBER ONE for total digs with a whopping 98 digs.
Only one year together under their belts, the Tyrants became one of the most feared teams in the league. With all these top players returning next year, all staying local this off-season rather than playing abroad, the Tyrants should be back with even more team chemistry as a heavy favorite for the finals.
“Volley On With the NVA!”
– NVA Staff Writer