Houston Area HS Previews: 6A – District 14
The USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC) has just ended and new national champions have just been crowned this past weekend in Indianapolis, but the prep volleyball community is already looking ahead to the start of the high school…
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Continue ReadingThe USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC) has just ended and new national champions have just been crowned this past weekend in Indianapolis, but the prep volleyball community is already looking ahead to the start of the high school season.
Over the next four months, prospects will store their club team uniforms in their closets and will represent their high schools with the goal of getting to the end of the year as the new state champions.
The state of Texas has one of the largest high school seasons in the entire country with the University Interscholastic League (UIL) managing a tournament for public schools that features six divisions, 192 districts and as many as 1,207 high school teams.
The start date for the 2022-2023 season is August 8 and between now and then, we’re previewing some of the districts located in the Houston area, highlighting their teams and most promising prospects.
Our focus today will be on Division 6A – District 14:
Aldine
The Mustangs were sixth in district 14 last season with four wins and ten losses and will be looking to improve that record in 2022-2023. The graduation of high-scoring middle blocker Brooklyn Cook will be an obstacle and will make the team rely more on the outside hitter duo of Breah Pierre and Dillensia Clebourn and on right side Amy Hernandez.
Benjamin Davis
The Lady Falcons enter the season looking for more after they ranked fourth in district 14 in 2021-2022 with their campaign of eight wins and six losses. Scoring leader outside hitter Ellia Tyrone has graduated, but fellow outside Tailor Perkins and middle blocker Asia Davis have both reached triple digits in scoring and can share the offensive load. A more difficult challenge will be replacing the production of departed setter Aeja Brown and libero Jelissa Ramirez.
Dekaney
After a 2021-2022 season in which they went winless, dropping all their 14 matches in district 14, the Wildcats will certainly be looking to steadily improve in the next few years. Outside hitter Tykera Lundy and libero Takeyla Gibson will probably be the ones tasked with leading the new team during the 2022-2023 season.
Eisenhower
The Lady Eagles claimed just three wins in their 14 matches last season and had to settle for a seventh-place finish in the eight-team district 14. Productive right side hitter Chelsea Lewis has graduated and the task of leading the team to a better campaign in 2022-2023 will lay on the shoulders of setter Karisma Garcia and middle blocker Daisha Williams.
MacArthur
The 2021-2022 season was a big one for MacArthur as it saw the program win its second-straight district with their victory at district 14 with their perfect campaign of 14 victories. The Lady Generals enter 2022-2023 without their main scorers, outside hitter Jasmine Rutledge and right side Aaliyah Callaway, who both graduated, but they have a strong core led by setter Emeli Muagututi’a, which also counts on emerging middle blocker Jessika Martinez and libero Gabriela Ruiz.
Nimitz
The Cougars had a positive record of nine wins and five losses to rank third in district 14 last season. The team has all the pieces in place for another solid campaign in 2022-2023 with outside hitter Holly Richardson, middle blockers T’Asia Green and Malaijha Williams, setter Mia Briggs and libero Nathalina Barnes all continuing on the team.
Spring
The Lady Lions had a prolific 2021-2022 season, winning 11 of their 14 matches to rank second in district 14. Better than that, they’ve been able to preserve most of their core, setting the floor for another memorable campaign. Allana Archie, Kori Sessions and Bailee Henderson can play anywhere at the net and will lead the team’s offense while Trinity Crawford and Kalisa Keller will split the setting duties.
Westfield
The 2021-2022 season ended with mixed feelings for the Mustangs. Although their 7-7 record, which led them to a fifth-place finish in district 14 wasn’t bad, they would have hoped to do more against the top teams in the division. They will have another chance to do so in the upcoming season with a fully-renovated roster after the likes of Jala Anderson, Dejane Holcomb and Michaela Rutledge all graduated. Among the few returning players in the squad, libero Karah Hightower and outside hitter Kaylanni Uriostegui will be important pieces for the team.