High School Spotlight: Grand Oaks Grizzlies

<p>The high school volleyball season is underway in Texas and talented young players have been showcasing their skills in every corner of the Lone Star state.</p> <p>One of our missions at Prep Dig is to highlight as many teams and prospects as possible around the state, from State Championship contenders and household names to underdogs and special talents who might be flying under-the-radar.</p> <p>We spend a lot of time at the gyms gathering information and watching matches and will use this space to highlight some of the teams and players we got to watch in person. In today’s article, we’ll present you the Grand Oaks Grizzlies.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Grand Oaks Grizzlies</strong></p> <p>The Grizzlies from the Grand Oaks High School in Spring advanced all the way to the area playoff match, where they were eliminated by Klein. Head coach Morgan Rogers and her players ended with a very positive overall record at 29-15 and ranked third in the strong Class 6A, Region II – District 13 with six victories and four losses.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">✨BI-DISTRICT CHAMPS✨<br /> <br /> Pumped to continue the playoff journey with this team! 🧡💙<br /> <br /> Onto Round ✌🏼! Details coming soon… <a href="https://t.co/APsoa1Ccxf">pic.x.com/APsoa1Ccxf</a></p> — Grand Oaks Volleyball (@grandoaksvb) <a href="https://x.com/grandoaksvb/status/1455368565125681158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87487" first="Fallon" last="Thompson"] – Outside Hitter – Club: Houston Juniors – 2022</strong></p> <p>Ranked 17^th in our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, [player_tooltip player_id="87487" first="Fallon" last="Thompson"] is one of the most impressive outside hitters in the state of Texas. She has a lot of power on her 6’1” frame and a cannon on her right arm, but is also extremely intelligent and technical, knowing exactly when to mix it up and score with a shot – most notably her line shot, which hits the line time and time again. Her high volleyball IQ allows her to make very few mistakes considering the high-volume player she is. One of her most impressive skills is her powerful, yet always precise top spin jump serve, with which she has already scored 46 aces this season. A Gonzaga commit, Thompson ender her high school career with a team-high 243 kills, 43 blocks, 138 digs and 178 passes.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6229959/616a64cf32ddb9089825c28a" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124153" first="Jaela" last="Auguste"] – Middle Blocker – Club: TAV Houston - 2024</strong></p> <p>It’s impossible not to notice [player_tooltip player_id="124153" first="Jaela" last="Auguste"]’s potential every time she steps on the court. A 6’1” middle blocker who’s also a track and field athlete, Auguste overpowers her opponents with her tremendous athleticism. She’s very fast on her movement and difficult to track as a middle, especially considering her impressive ability to jump, which gives her a fantastic reach on offense. Her blocking stands out as well as she’s really aggressive with the way she places her long arms across the net to take up space from opposing hitters. Ranked 58^th on our 2024 Prep Dig State Rankings, Auguste produced 221 kills and a team-high 92 blocks during the season.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/9262535/617ce5feb534b30348f4f0a9" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99523" first="Ava" last="Terry"] – Libero – Club: TAV Houston – 2022</strong></p> <p>A team with such formidable hitters would always need a defensive wizard to keep things under control at the backcourt and that’s exactly [player_tooltip player_id="99523" first="Ava" last="Terry"]’s role with the Grizzlies. Ranked 132^nd in our 2022 Prep Dig State Rankings, the 5’6” libero brings a great deal of stability to the team with her consistent game. Very technical and focused, Terry excels for her attention to detail, which is reflected in her play in the form of great positioning covering her hitters or doing the perfect technical gesture when setting in transition. A Sam Houston State commit, she led the way with 398 digs and 563 passes, besides registering the team’s second-best mark of 38 aces.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12312038/6170cead2aa6e9045c27c051" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>