Class of 2023 All-State Nominees – Middles – Vol 2
The 2021 High School season has been amazing so far! Along with our readers, we have been on pins and needles watching teams battle all season long. There have been some amazing tournaments and great district battles. We have been…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 2021 High School season has been amazing so far! Along with our readers, we have been on pins and needles watching teams battle all season long. There have been some amazing tournaments and great district battles. We have been talking to coaches, reading tons of stats, and getting lots of video submissions from parents and players regarding how everyone has fared over the course of the season. As we are funneling into the end of district play and about to head into the playoffs, we will be discussing some players who are being nominated for our inaugural Prep Dig Texas All-State Awards. Our end-of-season awards are going to be different because we are going to consider all divisions/conferences/classes together and pick the best of the best. The 2023 middles we will be discussing have been tearing it up and proving themselves all season long with some amazing statistics. Let’s meet some of the nominees:
Lauren Murphy [2023] 6-4 Middle (HS: Round Rock/Club: Austin Juniors/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Lauren is currently ranked as the 27th best overall prospect in the state in the 2023 class. We have profiled her last December when we welcomed her to the State Rankings and here is a little from the article, “She is a long player who excels at the net for her high school and club program in the Austin area. She primarily plays on the right for Round Rock high school and has helped her Varsity team become a force in their district. Her long extremities allow her to be a show stopping middle. She regularly slows down opposing hitters with her ability to penetrate the net. She will only get better with time as she gets even faster and more acclimated to the Varsity level. She is capable of running all sets along the net with her setters. She can hit multiple tempos with ease and will be moving up the ranking as she progresses in her skills. She already has a great whip of an arm that brings some heat to her high touch on the ball. This makes her a deadly weapon for both school and club. We can’t wait to cover her during the club season and we want to welcome her with open arms to our State Ranking List. Recently she was added to the “10 foot club” meaning she can touch ten feet high with her attack approach. She has been lauded as Newcomer of the year by numerous publications. It is safe to say that her stock is rising fast. College coaches were around the court watching all weekend. We are extremely proud and she will likely move up the rankings during the next update.” We have watched as Lauren has tallied the second most kills amongst juniors across the entire state of Texas this season. Her stats are phenomenal as she has amassed 533 kills on a .279 hitting percentage. She also had 59 blocks and 56 aces on the year. This state has some amazing players and to be that productive on the court in a team sport is amazing. Please congratulate her on being nominated for an All-State award.
Reese Robins Reese Robins 6'5" | MB Timberview | 2023 State #15 Nation TX [2023] 6-5 Middle (HS: Mansfield Timberview/Club: Drive Nation/Verbal: Louisville)
Reese is currently listed as the 36st best prospect according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays at Mansfield Timberview High School and club for the new but stellar Drive Nation club out of the North Texas Region. We profiled her earlier this year and here is what we stated, “Miss Robbins is a force to be reckoned with out of the middle. Her size and power are what most people see when they walk by her court, but to the trained eye we see how quick and agile she is for her size. We love the athleticism, as she is a great balance of size, power, and speed. She routinely puts away any overpass near her zone. Towering over most players in her age group so far makes it easy to hit over them. But when you witness her arm swing, you will see amazing form with helps her thunderous attack be even harder. I almost feel sorry for the ball as she hits it because of the power that she possesses. We along with most coaches agree that this young lady will shoot up the rankings as the years pass by just by how well she is able to cut the ball around a block. Her Drive Nation team is making some serious moves in the national rankings and will prove themselves this summer at USA Nationals. Please congratulate Miss Robbins on her achievement of being one of the top players in the state of Texas.” Reese name has been strapped to a rocket for a while now and she deserves every piece of praise that comes her way the way she competes on a court. She continues to wow every crowd and the Louisville commit is doing that this year for sure. She powered her varsity team to a birth in the playoffs and is ready to dominate in club again. Her play on the court this season earned her Most Valuable Player for district 8-5A. This is just one reason why she was picked to be nominated for an All-State award from our publication. Please congratulate her on the accomplishment.
Darla Crow [2023] 6-0 Middle (HS: Denton Ryan/Club: Frisco Flyers/ Verbal: Uncommitted)
Darla is currently an unranked prospect in the 2023 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, but we have had our eye on her since we watched the Flyers last season. She will definitely be in the conversation to be added to the rankings. Her quickness off of the ground during her approach is amazing. Miss Crow can flat out fly and possesses the speed of an elite middle that she showcases each time she steps on the court. We love the athleticism she plays the position with and can’t wait to watch her in club. She has proven herself to be one dominant force at the net on the defensive end this high school season. So far during her junior year she has tallied 181 total blocks out of the middle. She also has 422 kills on a very impressive .332 hitting percentage. It is because of this type of production on the court that puts her in the running to win an All-State award. Please congratulate her on being nominated.
There are many more amazing players that will be nominated. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes to see who ends up with a chance at one of the prestigious awards. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Texas Family!