Friday Match to Watch: Clear Creek vs College Station

<p>High school volleyball is underway in the state of Texas. Since the first week of August, teams from across the Lone Star State have been back on the court, battling each other in some fantastic matches, which are bringing the best of the sport in the state.</p> <p>Every once in a while, we’ll use this space to recommend some matches to keep and eye on and, most importantly, some of the most interesting prospects you’ll want to watch if you have an opportunity.</p> <p>Here’s our suggestion for Friday, August 27:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Clear Creek vs College Station – 5pm</strong></p> <p>Clear Creek is up to a solid start of the season, having won 13 of their 21 matches played so far. The team was been even stronger when playing at home as the Wildcats have won both matches played at their gymnasium, including their most recent one, a sweep of Deer Park on Tuesday.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>College Station is in top form and is arguably one of the best teams in the entire start at the start of the season, having dropped just two of their 21 matches so far. The Lady Cougars are yet to lose as visitors, having won all their four road matches, and are on a ten-match winning streak.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch – Clear Creek</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87504" first="Reaghan" last="Thompson"] – Middle Blocker – Club: Club South – 2022</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="87504" first="Reaghan" last="Thompson"] is certainly one of the reasons why the Wildcats have started the season in good form as her solid game at the net has positively impacted the team’s play. A six-footer, Thompson is extremely reliable on offense as she hits a very quick set that’s very difficult to stop. She’s having a career year in every meaningful skill, having already registered 183 kills (3.5 per set), 62 blocks (1.2), 61 digs (1.2) and 18 aces (0.3), after sustaining a knee injury. Thompson was part of a USA Volleyball High Performance Team in 2019 and ranks 59^th on our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12050660/6122e045d21b9504588e001f" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Briana Zamora – Libero – Club: Houston Stellar - 2022</strong></p> <p>Much of Thompson’s offensive efficiency wouldn’t be possible without the work of Briana Zamora on the backcourt. The 5’4” libero is a terrific passer and defender, guaranteeing the team’s setters always operate with the ball around the net. Zamora, who has already committed to play for LSU at the collegiate level, is very fast on her movement and intelligent on her reading of the game, two notable skills for a libero to have. She has already produced 363 digs, 255 passes and 13 aces for the Wildcats this season.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/8890071/6125d26102b1280ab01930a7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch – College Station</strong></p> <p><strong>Ana De La Garza – Outside Hitter – Club: Woodlands Revolution - 2022</strong></p> <p>It’s easy to notice on a first glance how athletic and technical Ana De La Garza’s game is. She’s not the tallest player on the court, but her upper body strength, a benefit from also being a track &amp; field student-athlete, is able to propel her extremely high at the net. She hits the ball hard and, most importantly, is always able to find gaps on opposing blocks. Her backcourt game is also top-notch. In 2021, De La Garza leads the Lady Cougars in kills with 151 and ranks second in digs (163) and passes (215).</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12994569/5f9aefd90c54d903dc71e6e4" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99522" first="Keira" last="Herron"] – Libero – Club: Woodlands Revolution - 2022</strong></p> <p>A recent commit to Oregon State, [player_tooltip player_id="99522" first="Keira" last="Herron"] has been in top form in her last season of high school volleyball. The 5’8” libero, who ranks 131^st on our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, has been leading the Lady Cougars in digs (221), passes (253) and aces (32) this year. Herron has great positioning on the backcourt and tremendous ball control, two skills that lead her to make eye-popping digs in basically every single match she plays. Besides been extremely technical and intelligent, another thing that sets Herron apart is her tactical discipline as she’s a player who’s always where she has to be and does all the things she’s supposed to.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11980548/6037ff005eec130b503d35d8" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>