KISD/CFISD Varsity Tournament: Five Talented Outside Hitters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high volleyball season is just around the corner in the Great State of Texas and the initial part of the calendar is typically loaded with varsity tournaments, which provide us with great opportunities of having an early look at how teams and prospects are shaping up for the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second weekend of August will have one of those, the Katy ISD/Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Varsity Tournament, which will reunite as many as 48 teams from the Houston area and beyond for three days of competition between August 11-13 across eight high schools in the region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll follow some of those matches and bring our reports to you right after the end of the event, but before it starts, let's highlight some of the most promising prospects that will be on the court during the event. Today we'll feature some of the most talented outside hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_62ed21d802dc6","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Caelyn Emmerling ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Grand Oaks","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"TAV Houston","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"With her combination of length and ball control, Caelyn Emmerling has positioned herself as one of the most promising outside hitters in the class of 2024. Capable of playing at both pins, the 6'1” prospect is a force on offense with her ability to make contact at a very high point and unleash considerable power on the ball. Although there's certainly room for improvement in her backcourt game, she's already good enough to hold her on there. Expect her last year's production of 193 kills, 46 digs, 41 passes and 28 blocks to go up as she grows into an increased role with Grand Oaks.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Elianna Freeman","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Jersey Village","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"Asics Willowbrook","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Although her all-around game is still a work in progress, Elianna Freeman emerged as a revelation for Jersey Village last season. She wasn't a full-time starter at the beginning of the season but got the job once it became clear her scoring ability was way too important for the team. The 5'8” Freeman plays with a lot of intensity and aggressiveness and is very intelligent in her shot selection. She's also improving her backcourt game and will for sure improve on her production of 111 kills and 46 digs as a freshman.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["208197"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='208197' first='Kennedy' last='Jones']' hangtime is her calling card and she uses her natural gift extremely well to be a force at the net. Jones has good size at 5'10” but her ability to stay up in the air for as long as she does is what makes her a nightmare for opposing blockers. She also has tremendous power on her right arm and is difficult for defenders to deal with when she gets the ball across the net. She amassed 499 kills, 534 digs, 510 passes, 65 blocks and 61 aces over two seasons with Langham Creek.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["195824"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='195824' first='Kitana' last='Tuufuli'] and her Cibolo Steele team will be making the trip from San Antonio and will be one of the attractions of the tournament. She's a 6'1” outside hitter with tremendous firepower and who's ready to hit the ball hard regardless of where she is on the court. One of the keys to Tuufuli's efficiency is her strong approach, which adds so much power to her offensive actions. She's also very calm and typically makes good decisions, even in moments of pressure. In two seasons, Tuufuli has tallied 552 kills, 376 digs, 648 passes and 65 blocks.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["176645"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"A heavy-armed outside hitter, [player_tooltip player_id='176645' first='Makenna' last='Tryon'] is very skilled on offense. Besides her excellent length at 6'1” and her ability to hit around the block, she also stands out for her offensive versatility as she's capable of scoring from the left, right, and even the middle at the backcourt. She's very steady with passing efforts too and has a solid blocking presence. Tryon has been a key producer for Waller in her high school career, having tallied 605 kills, 553 digs, 1,164 passes, 108 aces and 67 blocks in three seasons.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /-->