<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>We’ll use this space a couple of times every week 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>This is a can’t-miss duel taking place on Tuesday, September 14:</p>
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<p><strong>Decatur vs Krum – 6pm</strong></p>
<p>The defending champions of the 4A class, the Decatur Eagles out of the city of same name have been extremely solid so far, winning 19 and losing just nine matches. The team coached by Catherine Foerster bounced back from a loss to Grapevine with a sound straight-set road win against Bridgeport in their first match in the Region I, District 4 match.</p>
<p>The Krum Bobcats have also started their campaign in the Class 4, Region In, District 7 with a win as they topped Lake Worth in straight sets. The team coached by Lynn Larson has had some ups and downs during preseason, registering 13 wins and 12 losses, and will look to become more consistent from now on.</p>
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<p><strong>Players to Watch – Decatur</strong></p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="119916" first="Jentry" last="Lamirand"] – Setter/Outside Hitter – Club: Muscle – 2022</strong></p>
<p>The Most Valuable Player of last year’s State Championship match is, of course, of the Lady Eagles’ playing system with her versatile and efficient game. The 5’11” Lamirand is equally effective when playing as setter, where she does a great job in consistently setting her hitters up at the net, or as outside hitter, where she uses her athleticism and technical skills to score points at ease. Ranked 62<sup>nd</sup> on our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, Lamirand has committed to the Southern Methodist University.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99503" first="Dakota" last="Hartman"] – Middle Blocker – Club: Attack Volleyball - 2022</strong></p>
<p>[player_tooltip player_id="99503" first="Dakota" last="Hartman"]’s physicality is second-to-none in the Texas volleyball scene as the Decatur middle blocker is one of the most aggressive players in the entire state. Very versatile offensively, the 6’1” Hartman can play on the right, the left or the middle, where she’s typically deployed with her high school team. Besides hitting the ball hard from anywhere on the court, she is also very effective on the most technical skills of the game and because of that, ranks 31<sup>st</sup> on our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings. Hartman has committed to Lehigh University.</p>
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<p><strong>Players to Watch – Krum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mary Doyle – Right Sider – 2022</strong></p>
<p>An explosive, 5’8” right sider, Mary Doyle brings a good mix of power and intelligence to Krum’s offense. Also a basketball player, she uses her high volleyball IQ to make good decisions when at the net, and that led her to registering already 160 kills despite finding some tall blocks on her way. She’s also a tremendous setter, having tallied 208 assists so far to go with her 208 digs, 90 passes and 24 aces.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="140413" first="Gabrielle" last="Gunnoe"] – Right Sider – Club: Texas Pistols - 2022</strong></p>
<p>Even though she also plays on the right for the Lady Bobcats, [player_tooltip player_id="140413" first="Gabrielle" last="Gunnoe"] is a completely different player when compared to Doyle. The 5’11” heavy hitter doesn’t share her teammate’s setting duties, but is just as effective on offense, having tallied the same 160 kills this season. A left-handed, she’s lethal at the net due to the huge variety of shots she has and her ability to read the game really well. Gunnoe has also produced 77 digs, 22 aces and 18 blocks for Krum this season.</p>
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