Grand Oaks High School is on the Rise
We like to highlight programs on the rise and this next program couldn’t be rising any faster. Grand Oaks high school is a new school to the North Houston area. It is going to be their third year in existence and…
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Continue ReadingWe like to highlight programs on the rise and this next program couldn’t be rising any faster. Grand Oaks high school is a new school to the North Houston area. It is going to be their third year in existence and they have been thrown into the uber competitive district 13-6A starting this coming school year. The Woodlands has dominated this district for the last couple of decades, but Conroe Grand Oaks High will have something to say about that. They have some amazing young talent that has a fire inside of them. We had a chance to sit down with Coach Morgan Rogers and discuss her squad. Here is a little from our conversation.
Prep Dig TX: What is your volleyball background?
Coach Rogers: I played collegiate volleyball at University of Texas at Arlington. I will be going into my 12th year coaching high school volleyball, and my 10th season as a head coach. Began as an assistant coach at my alma mater, Tomball High School, and coached there for two years before I got the opportunity to open Tomball Memorial High School in 2011. Led a first year program of freshmen & sophomores to playoffs in 2011, and reached the regional quarterfinals in 2013. In my nine seasons at Tomball Memorial, we reached the playoffs 7 out of 9 years, and were district champions in 2013.
Prep Dig TX: I understand this is a brand new school. Can you tell me a little about it?
Coach Rogers: I very much enjoyed the chance to open a new school and build a program from scratch, that I decided to do it all over again, this time at Grand Oaks High School! I was excited to take everything I had learned from my first experience of building a program and bring it to Grand Oaks. In our first season in 2018, we played an independent schedule mixed with varsity and sub-varsity competition, and only had a team full of freshmen & sophomores. This past season, we played a full varsity schedule and competed in a very large & competitive district (20-5A), still with no senior class. We were able to finish as district champions, and won the school’s first ever playoff game!
Prep Dig TX: What is your expectation for district play this coming season considering the move to the new district going against State contenders like The Woodlands and College Park?
Coach Rogers: The expectations for the 2020 season will remain high, regardless of entering into a new district. I still expect our team to be a playoff-caliber team, and possibly compete for another district championship. Our team really exceeded expectations for our first year of varsity play in 2019, so now we have to focus on stepping up and competing at an even higher level. We will be playing some of the toughest teams in the area/state in district play, but I am excited about the level of competition and seeing how we respond to it.
Prep Dig TX: What do you love about the school?
Coach Rogers: First of all, Grand Oaks is an incredibly beautiful campus! I love my players and parents – they have been incredible during this “building” process and are very supportive of the vision of our program. The administration and my fellow coaches have made the transition very smooth and enjoyable. The growth the area and community has already experienced is amazing, and makes me so excited for the future.
Prep Dig TX: What is your coaching philosophy and how do you apply it to your teams?
Coach Rogers: I strive to develop the whole athlete, and not just the volleyball athlete, by providing a place for each person to feel important, loved, accepted, and appreciated. I truly believe in building strong, successful young women through the ups & downs that come with being an athlete. Every experience, whether good and bad, comes with a learning opportunity and I want each of my athletes to feel comfortable to learn and grow through their time in our program. I apply that to my teams by first and foremost making sure everyone knows that they have a role on a team, and that everyone’s role is equally as important. I also try to provide a safe place for all athletes where they feel comfortable being themselves, and understanding that everyone is different and that is something to be celebrated. Our athletes are expected to be leaders not only in the athletic program, but in the classroom, hallways, and the community. These expectations help to build amazing young women that are able to move into their next phase of life and continue to be successful.
Here are just some of the players from Conroe Grand Oaks that we wanted to highlight.
Lauren Vickery [2023] 5-6 Outside/Defensive Specialist (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: Woodlands Revolution)
Due to an injury, they pulled her up from the JV team right when they started district play, and she stepped in immediately and played with poise and confidence. Lauren is an undersized player, who would prefer to focus more on a defensive specialist role, but they needed her to hit on the outside, and she did it fearlessly! She has great ball control, is a smart hitter, and brought a great vibe and sense of calm to the court. Lauren genuinely loves the game of volleyball, and you can see that in the way she plays. She earned District 20-5A Honorable Mention, and Academic All-District honors.
Fallon Thompson Fallon Thompson 6'0" | OH Grand Oaks | 2022 State #183 Nation TX [2022] 6-0 Outside (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: Houston Juniors)
Miss Thompson comes in as the 22ndranked prospect in the State according to our State Rankings. Fallon is a powerful and exciting player to coach and watch. She is extremely competitive and brings her best every time she steps on the court. She has a heavy arm and a great jumping ability, but is also able to mix her shots up and score using finesse. Her ball control is continually improving, and she has an aggressive serve that can score 3-4 quick points each time she serves. Fallon commands the ball and has confidence about her that is undeniable. She loves high-pressure situations, and handles them better than most sophomores. She plays and competes hard, and expects that of others around her. She was the District 20-5A MVP, earned Academic All-District, TGCA 5A All-State Team, Montgomery County Co-Offensive Player of the Year, TAVC 5A All-State Team, GHVCA 5A Newcomer of the Year, All-Greater Houston Newcomer of the Year, Vype 5A All-State Second Team, and PrepVolleyball Soph 79 Highest Honorable Mention.
Kamie Lohnes [2022] 5-11 Middle/Outside (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: Houston Skyline)
Kamie is an athletic, energetic, and inspiring player. She is versatile and can play multiple positions. She’s a little undersized compared to other middles, but Kamie plays the position with such fire that her size doesn’t hinder her in the least bit. She is quick, has great court awareness and works her tail off in transition. Kamie is the ultimate teammate and makes their program better by lifting up everyone around her, which is one of the many things that Coach Rogers loves about her. She is a natural athlete, but is also one of the hardest workers – whether that be on the court, in the weight room, or while we are conditioning. Kamie was voted as the District 20-5A Newcomer of the Year, Academic All-District, and GHVCA 5A Postseason Team. Miss Lohnes is currently unranked but we see that changing once the new rankings update comes out in a few months.
Ava Terry [2022] 5-5 Libero (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: TAV Houston)
Ava is one of those liberos that makes her job look easy. She is smooth, calm, and has excellent ball control. Ava passes great in serve receive, and has a great ability to read in defense, which usually puts her exactly where she needs to be to make a play. She leads the Grand Oaks defense and is extremely consistent in both serve receive and on defense. Ava brings a genuine happiness to the court that can ease any tense or stressful situation. She makes a huge difference in the flow of the Grand Oaks defense. Ava earned First Team All-District honors, Academic All-District, and TAVC 5A All-State Team. We feel very confident that Ava will make our rankings in a few months. Stay tuned.
Sarah Sampson [2022] 5-11 Setter/Right Side (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: TAV Houston)
Sarah is a smart and talented setter. She has beautiful hands and understands the game so well – knows where the best match-ups are for the Grand Oaks hitters, knows when to be offensive, and plays great defense. This year, she also hit on the right side for them and she did an excellent job. She is an extremely smart hitter who worked to master many different shots throughout the season, and got them out of a lot of rotations with her crafty shots. Sarah is a mature and calm leader who expects the best of herself and her teammates. She earned First Team All-District honors, Academic All-District, GHVCA 5A Postseason Team, All-Montgomery County Second Team, All-Vype Public School Honorable Mention Team.
Carlie McCutchen [2022] 5-6 Setter (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: TAV Houston)
Carlie is the work horse of the Grand Oaks team. She is the player who would run through a brick wall to keep a play alive. As a setter, she works so hard to put her hitters in the best situations, and plays excellent defense. She never lets a ball hit the floor without making the ultimate effort. She truly enjoys the sport and is a student of the game, always learning and working to improve. Coach Rogers is excited to see her continue to learn and grow, because her work ethic and drive is going to take her as far as she wants to go. Carlie earned First Team All-District honors and Academic All-District. She is also currently unranked but we see that changing once the new rankings update comes out in a few months.
Being a newer school, no one knows what to expect. But, we know who coach Rogers is and her desire to create a top notch program will definitely come to fruition. I have coached with her before and she is a fierce competitor. Her players will follow her in competition and have her fire for the game. We are looking forward to covering them and their season in the new district.
If you have a club or high school program we should highlight, please send me an email at nov8vb@yahoo.comand we can discuss it.