Houston Area HS Previews: 6A – District 22
The USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC) has just ended and new national champions have just been crowned in Indianapolis, but the prep volleyball community is already looking ahead to the start of the high school season. Over the…
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Continue ReadingThe USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC) has just ended and new national champions have just been crowned 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.
Division 6A – District 22 is the next in line so let’s get to it:
Channelview
The Lady Falcons ranked fifth in district 22 last season, when they won four and lost eight matches. The team will return to the 2022-2023 season without some key players of their last campaign, such as outside hitter Torre Giron, setter Kailey Herrera and libero Saije Yokum. The team has a solid middle blocker duo with Kennedi Alexander (who can also play at the pin) and Isel Lozano, which will be pivotal for a better campaign in the upcoming season.
Deer Park
The Lady Deer were unstoppable in district 22 in 2021-2022 as they won all their 12 league matches to finish at the top of the standings and compete in the playoffs. They will try to repeat it this season without middle blocker McKenna Malone, libero Avery Brasher and right side Madison Vaughn, who graduated, but still have an excellent core with promising setter Cayley Hanson Cayley Hanson 6'2" | S Deer Park | 2024 State #43 Nation TX , all-around outside hitter Tatum Busch Tatum Busch 5'11" | OH Deer Park | 2024 State TX and productive middle blocker Ella Gilbert.
Dobie
The Longhorns were Deer Park’s main challengers last season, ranking right next to the district winners with ten wins and just losses. The team will no longer have productive setter Natalie Onozie, who graduated, but Alexa Gonzalez is more than ready to step up and make of the position her own. Replacing the production of Maya Scott and Montserrat Alba at the pin might be more complicated, but Dobie has talent everywhere else on the roster with middle blockers Ariana Garza and Haley DeHoyos and libero Aly Frias.
Pasadena
The Lady Eagles ranked fourth in district 22 last season after they ended the season with a campaign of six wins and six losses. The team’s two most productive players, middle blockers Montserrat Montalvo and Alyza Jaramillo, won’t be back, increasing the offensive responsibilities of outside hitter Valeria Contreras. On the backcourt, everything Pasadena does will run through efficient libero Angelina Cruz.
Pasadena Memorial
The Lady Mavericks were third in district 22, ranking only behind Deer Park and Dobie, the two teams that were able to beat them in league player in their 8-4 campaign. Leading scorer outside hitter Kaely Richardson and top blocker Destini Payne have graduated, but Pasadena Memorial has some interesting players to work with in outside hitter Emma Carro, who’s an excellent defensive player, gifted setter Haley Salisbury and reliable libero Aleyna LeBlanc.
Sam Rayburn
The Texans managed to win just one of their 12 matches last season, finishing in sixth place in district 22. Middle blocker Erin-Leigh Wilson, outside hitter Kailee Martinez and libero Layla Anzaldua will be instrumental for Sam Rayburn to show some improvement in 2022-2023, especially after the graduations of outside hitter Crystal Flores, middle blocker Torrie Woods and setter Cesara Roque.
South Houston
The Trojans were at the bottom of district 22 in 2021-2022 with their campaign of just one win and 11 losses. Outside hitter Mya Ramirez, who was the team’s top scorer last season, and libero Alyssa Flores, who did good work on the backcourt, have both graduated, making of outside hitter Cheyenne Robertson and setter Jailyn Saldana the pillars of this season’s squad.