Houston Area Five Players to Watch: 6A – District 18
The high school volleyball season is set to start in just a few weeks in the state of Texas and after a quick break following the conclusions of the club season, we can’t wait any longer to watch the top…
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Continue ReadingThe high school volleyball season is set to start in just a few weeks in the state of Texas and after a quick break following the conclusions of the club season, we can’t wait any longer to watch the top prospects of the Lone Star State in action again.
There will be several thousand players in action across the 1,207 high school teams that compete in the six divisions of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and among them, there are some very talented ones, who certainly have a bright future in the sport.
As we continue to preview what the high school season will look like in the Houston area, we shift our focus from teams to players and highlight five of the most intriguing prospects in the districts located in the region.
Today we’ll talk about Division 6A – District 18:
Austyn Lanclos – Middle Blocker – Heights – Club: Liberty Stars Elite – 2023
A 5’11” middle blocker with an excellent all-around game, Austyn Lanclos wears a lot of different hats for her Heights high school team. She fulfills her roles at the net extremely well, leading the team’s blocking efforts and being a reliable scoring option, but is also capable of significantly contributing on the backcourt, as she did last season, when her 180 digs and 336 passes were probably just as important as her 323 kills and 82 aces.
Kaylie Victorian – Outside Hitter – Lamar – Club: Houston Juniors – 2023
Kaylie Victorian was easily Lamar’s most important player in 2021-2022 and that reflected in her all-district second-team selection. She’s not extremely tall at 5’8” but can jump out of the gym and has a cannon of a right arm, making it hard for defenders that get on her way to control the ball. She was also very productive on the backcourt and ended the season with the respectable marks of 194 kills, 144 digs and 337 passes.
Madison Hess – Setter – Heights – Club: Liberty Stars Elite – 2023
A setter with an excellent combination of size, technical skills and a high volleyball IQ, Madison Hess ran the show for her Heights team last season. She was the team’s primary playmaker, a role that she played at a great level, the 6’2” Hess also helped the team with her hitting ability and even filled in as a middle blocker in a pair of rotations. She’s very intelligent and calm on the court, and that helped her excel wherever she was at, completing the season with 661 assists, 115 kills, 171 digs and 45 aces.
Paris Gilmore – Middle Blocker – Bellaire – Club: Texas Regulators – 2023
A 5’11” middle blocker with tremendous potential, Paris Gilmore has been a force at the division in 2021-2022. Her physical tools make of her a very productive player as Gilmore uses her quick feet and excellent reach to impact the game on both sides of the ball. She’s really strong when hitting the slide set and is really difficult to go against when she’s blocking. Gilmore is versatile enough to play anywhere at the net, but is typically deployed in the middle, where she produced 158 kills and 103 blocks for Bellaire.
Vivian Chaney Vivian Chaney 5'5" | DS/L Lamar | 2023 State TX – Libero/Setter – Lamar – Club: Houston Juniors – 2023
A player with excellent technical skills, Vivian Chaney Vivian Chaney 5'5" | DS/L Lamar | 2023 State TX is talented enough to play in two very different, but equally important, positions – setter or libero. The 5’5” prospect spent the last club season as a libero with her Houston Juniors team, but could be back at playing multiple roles to help Lamar in the high school season. In one position or other, what makes Chaney thrive is the combination of her technical skills and her excellent reading of the game, which lead her to make right decisions over and over. She ended last season with 323 assists, 186 digs and 134 passes.