Playoff Match to Watch: La Vernia vs Needville
It’s time! The high school volleyball season enters a pivotal moment in the state of Texas with the playoffs going at full pace and the State Championship quickly approaching and us, at Prep Dig, will be following all the action…
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Continue ReadingIt’s time! The high school volleyball season enters a pivotal moment in the state of Texas with the playoffs going at full pace and the State Championship quickly approaching and us, at Prep Dig, will be following all the action just like you.
After nearly three months of regular season, only the best teams of each district remain in contention and from now on, there’s no more room for errors as a setback will mean the end of the season and, for the many seniors, spread across the Lone Star state, the ending point of their high school careers.
This week starts with the regional quarterfinals and later on we’ll have the regional semifinals. As we’ve done the entire season, we’ll use this space to recommend a match to watch every day of action.
The meeting between the La Vernia Bears and the Needville Bluejays on Class 4A should be an interesting one to watch on Tuesday, November 9:
La Vernia vs Needville – 6.30pm
The Lady Bears from the La Vernia High School were perfect in their two playoff matches after losing back-to-back duels to end district play. They were second on Region IV, District 27 with six wins and three losses and hold a 31-16 win record for the season. The Bluejays from the Needville High School topped Region IV, District 25 with a perfect record of 12 wins. They lost their warm up match, but recovered with back-to-back wins to start the playoffs and brought their season totals to 30 wins and 12 losses.
Players to Watch – La Vernia
Bailey Schievelbain – Outside Hitter – Club: San Antonio Force – 2023
Bailey Schievelbain grew up playing as a setter, but recently switched to the outside hitter role. The changed proved to be a good one as, despite her 5’9” frame, she became a true scoring machine for the Lady Bears, having registered already 509 kills this season, nearly a third of the team’s entire production. Schievelbain is also extremely well-rounded as she’s near in top in the team in basically every other skill with 353 digs, 349 passes, 29 aces and 28 blocks.
Ava Harris – Setter – Club: La Vernia Volleyball Club – 2023
Ava Harris is another junior who ranks really high in La Vernia’s team. As a setter, she has control on the team’s offense and does a great job with her distribution. The 5’6” Harris has crossed the marks of 1,000 assists this season, with 1,113 tallied to an average of 8.2 per set. She’s also been able to produce on defense, with the team’s highest number of digs at 394, and from the service line with 55 aces, also good to top her teammates.
Players to Watch – Needville
Cayla Kozik – Outside Hitter – 2022
A 5’9” outside hitter, Cayla Kozik adds a fair amount power for Needville at the pin. Extremely explosive, she’s very productive at the net and leads the Bluejays’ offense with 317 kills so far in the season. Kozik is also extremely well-versed on the backcourt, ranking second in both digs (389) and passes (453) and first in aces (63).
Ashley Fojtik – Right Sider – 2022
The fact that Ashley Fojtik ranks in the top three in four different categories in the Bluejays roster speaks volumes about her importance to the team. A 5’8” right sider, she thrives on her double duties with Needville, leading the team in assists with 481 (4.4 per set) and ranking third in kills with 277 (2.5 per set). Her defensive production is also excellent as Fojtik is third in both digs (343) and passes (134), despite only acting on serve receiving in three rotations.