High School Team Feature – Fort Bend Kempner Cougars
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The high school season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and every team in the state has been on the court enough times for us to have a good idea about what to expect from them.…
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Continue ReadingThe high school season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and every team in the state has been on the court enough times for us to have a good idea about what to expect from them.
Here at PrepDig, we are committed to covering and promoting as many prospects as possible, from the most popular names to the hidden gems that typically abound at the Lone Star State and during the high school season we’re also doing it by featuring the teams they play at.
Every time we’re at the gym, we take the time to give a good look at the teams on the court and we’ll try to feature as many as possible here in this space. This time, we’ll let you know more about the Fort Bend Kempner Cougars.
The Squad
The team from Sugarland has been able to build from their last year’s campaign as just two seniors graduated since then. The Cougars have a balanced team with Ruth Ochelli Ruth Ochelli 6'0" | MB Fort Bend Christian Academy | 2025 TX leading the way at the net, Sophie Ilagan Sophie Ilagan 5'3" | DS/L Kempner | 2024 TX coordinating the backcourt and Mia Clarke impacting the game on both sides of the ball.
Key Players
An extremely athletic player, Ochelli has been moved from her original middle blocker spot to the pin this season in an attempt to make of her a more central piece in the Cougars’ offense. That has been the case, as Ochelli is fully adapted to the new role on offense, where she can use her reach and firepower to score points. Although she’s the team’s go-to offensive player and is set out-of-system fairly often, Ochelli doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Also a very good blocker, she has some room for improvement in her ball control.
Highlights
Very technical and intelligent, Ilagan is Kempner’s floor general on the backcourt. She’s very consistent and reliable and recovers a lot of balls on defense and when covering her hitters. Her defense, which features great positioning and reflexes, is outstanding and she recently surpassed 1,000 career digs. One of the most impressive things about Ilagan, who can also set well in transition when needed, is her ability to control the ball even when needs to dives to get it.
Highlights
Mia Clarke
Mia Clarke
If Ochelli is Kempner’s main offensive player and Ilagan plays a similar role when it comes to defense, it’s fair to say that Clarke is the Cougar that best combines the best in both worlds. The well-rounded outside hitter is very stable and consistent with her passing and defense, but also a prolific offensive player. Although not too tall, Clarke does a great job in expanding her range as she fully extends her arm before swinging it quickly. She’s also a very good server.
Mackenzie Vaughan
Mackenzie Vaughan
Vaughan does really well in her dual role with Kempner, hitting when at the net and setting when in the backcourt. She has good size and is pretty skilled, turning to smart tips and roll shots to score most of the time. Vaughan also has a very good floater serve and also impacts the game on defense, but her main asset on a volleyball court is probably her decision-making, which allows her to find solutions to difficult situations and to avoid unforced errors.
Joanna Okusanya
Joanna Okusanya
The athletic Okusanya still doesn’t have a big role with Kempner as some improvements are still needed in some areas of her game, but it’s easy to see her being able to make more of an impact with the team soon. Her physical potential is excellent as, despite having a good size at 5’10”, Okusaya can also jump well and has an impressive hangtime. She can swing hard and is great with her timing when blocking.