2022 Houston Area Standouts – Outside Hitters

<p>The club volleyball season is pretty much over for the class of 2022 players. There are still some tournaments scheduled for the 18s, but most of the top club teams around the country have already shut down as several players are ready to start the next step of their careers at the collegiate level.</p> <p>It’s been a fantastic season, which culminated with the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, at the end of April. I’ve been fortunate to watch most of the top 18s teams of the Houston area in person and am taking the week to highlight some of the prospects that impressed me the most in each position. Today we’ll focus on some of the best outside hitters.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87469" first="Brielle" last="Warren"] – Houston Skyline 18 Royal – HS: Fulshear</strong></p> <p>Widely recognized as one of the top players in the entire state, [player_tooltip player_id="87469" first="Brielle" last="Warren"] didn’t disappoint in her last season with Houston Skyline. The 6’1” outside hitter was as explosive as always, hammering balls over and over at the pin, but also showed some interesting growth in experience and maturity, which showed in an improved backcourt game and better overall decisions on the court. Also an excellent blocker, Warren is headed to Purdue.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11835433/627030d9b3c8ac01ac95f49a" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>D’Nari Mills – Texas Legacy 18 Elite – HS: Cypress Woods</strong></p> <p>When it comes to vertical, athleticism and firepower, few players in the state are at D’Nari Mills’ level. The 5’8” Texas Legacy pin hitter is truly impressive on the court and performs at a very high level with her combination of hang time and power. Mills has a cannon of a right arm and uses it extremely well to score points, be it by hitting at the net or with her top spin jump serve. From the summer on, he’ll do that for Southeastern Oklahoma State.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11357301/62362e17da52a00a941e203b" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99515" first="Mallorie" last="Garner"] – TAV Houston 18 Adidas – HS: Bridgeland</strong></p> <p>What makes of [player_tooltip player_id="99515" first="Mallorie" last="Garner"] such a special player is her complete game. The 6’1” Garner is a force at the net for both her TAV Houston club and her Bridgeland high school teams but is also a key piece in their defensive systems. She’s very talented and intelligent and it’s easy to tell her presence on the court is extremely reassuring as she’s a player they know will deliver no matter what the situation is like.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11341971/61d3e3f3041f1108f81940ee" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Leah Fraysur – Asics Willowbrook 18 Gold – HS: Waller</strong></p> <p>Leah Fraysur’s combination of explosiveness and dynamism is a joy to watch. The 5’10” outside hitter is very intense on the court and takes a big role in every stage of the game with her Asics Willowbrook team. Fraysur is a very solid defensive player but also a well-versed and efficient hitter at the net, helping her team on both sides of the ball. She’ll continue in the region during her collegiate career after committing to Houston Baptist.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11334778/6225993202b1c60700f09dfd" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174936" first="Sophie" last="Ocampo"] – Houston Stellar 18 Elite – HS: Kingwood</strong></p> <p>A player with an impressive combination of size, technique and understanding of the game, [player_tooltip player_id="174936" first="Sophie" last="Ocampo"] has been a staple for her Houston Stellar teams over the years. Standing at 6’3”, she’s really difficult to deal with at the net because of her outstanding reach and well-diversified variety of shots. Ocampo is extremely reliable and typically comes up big when her team needs her the most and is also very effective with her blocking. She is headed to the University of Texas at Arlington.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15260118/61ffbddeab92c90ca455a6e3" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99518" first="Kayla" last="Wilson"] – AVA TX 18 Adidas – HS: Ridge Point</strong></p> <p>A University of Memphis commit, [player_tooltip player_id="99518" first="Kayla" last="Wilson"] impresses with her jumping ability. The 5’10” pin hitter has a tremendous vertical and uses it extremely well to score at the net. Wilson can hit different sets from the left, right or the backcourt and is really difficult to predict and stop at the net. Her backcourt game is good enough to keep her on the court all six rotations.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11803320/624ce15c2aa6950a4074bb28" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>