KISD/CFISD Tournament Top Performers – Middle Blockers
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The high school volleyball season started at full pace in the state of Texas and a massive number of matches were played in the opening week alone, several of them in varsity tournaments that took place all over the Lone…
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Continue ReadingThe high school volleyball season started at full pace in the state of Texas and a massive number of matches were played in the opening week alone, several of them in varsity tournaments that took place all over the Lone Star State.
One of them was the Katy ISD/Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Varsity Tournament, which reunited as many as 48 teams from the Houston area and beyond for three days of competition across eight high schools in the region between Thursday and Saturday.
I was at the Katy Taylor and the Cinco Ranch high schools on the opening day and watched the matches at Tompkins on Friday, being able to see in person 22 different teams across the two days. During the week, I’ll be sharing the positional top performers from the teams I was fortunate to watch, and now it’s time we take a look at the middle blockers.
A towering 6’4″ middle blocker, Tinnell couldn’t have had a better start to her high school career. She was dominant in the middle and was unstoppable at times when she got into a rhythm as Her combination of size and power is a lot for opposing blockers to deal with. Despite her size, Tinnell is also extremely mobile, which makes of her a very good blocker too. She looked like anything but a freshman on the court, asking for sets and scoring big points for her team.
Highlights
Efficiency and versatility are probably the two words that best describe Kuyn’s play in the tournament. Technically a middle blocker, the 6’1″ prospect could be seen all over the court, hitting from the left and the right and also playing some very good defense on the backcourt. Her game is very fluid and complete, which gives coaches a lot of flexibility on how to use her. A key piece in a strong Brandeis team, Kuyn tallied 59 kills, 27 digs and five blocks in the tournament.
Highlights
Despite their 25th-place finish, Magnolia had a fairly positive campaign in the tournament, winning six of eight matches, and a lot of it has to do with Bull’s play in the middle. The 6’2″ prospect was a force at the net and offered her team a reliable scoring option thanks to her ability to hit multiple sets and put a lot of power on it. Bull produced 67 kills, 12 aces, six blocks and 17 digs during the tournament.
I’ve seen numerous great performances from Mueller over the last two seasons at the pin, but this time she was able to impress in the middle. The six-footer showed excellent presence there and remained as the offensive force she’s always been. Mueller also helped with passing and defense and even showed some very good timing with her blocking. She tallied 73 kills, 12 aces, 44 digs and 83 passes.
Madison Barrera Madison Barrera 6'2" | MB Katy Taylor | 2026 State TX
Madison Barrera Madison Barrera 6'2" | MB Katy Taylor | 2026 State TX
Barrera was another first-year middle to leave a very positive impression during the tournament. Very long and athletic, she did an excellent job for her Katy Taylor team at the net, showing good consistency on both sides of the ball. She also has an excellent floater that typically puts opponents under pressure.