Stellar Senior Servers – Vol 1
The initial portion of the high school is approaching its end in the state of Texas with only two more weeks of district play set to happen before the start of the playoffs. We’ve been highlighting the players that are…
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Continue ReadingThe initial portion of the high school is approaching its end in the state of Texas with only two more weeks of district play set to happen before the start of the playoffs. We’ve been highlighting the players that are standing out in individual skills and today we post the first article about some of the players who have been among the best servers in the Lone Star State. We’ll feature the players from every class who have been on fire from the service line, starting with the seniors.
Haley Mullaney
Haley Mullaney
Mullaney has been one of the top players in her Victory Christian Academy team that remains undefeated more than two months into the season with 24 wins. She’s the team’s starting setter, but also leads the Patriots in kills and aces, a category in which she has been particularly impressive. Mullaney is very versatile with her serving and can go from a powerful topspin jump serve to a tough floater depending on the opponent. She’s fired 148 aces this season, averaging 2.5 per set, and, perhaps most importantly, has a 40.3% ace rate, meaning she scores a direct point every three servers on average. She’s had four matches this season with ten or more aces and the most important one was a tournament match against Forestburg in September in which she fired 15 serving points in just two sets. She will play for Texas Women University at the collegiate level.
Vastly recognized as one of the top offensive players in the entire state, Bayless has significantly strengthened her game from the service line this season. The 6’2″ outside hitter averaged around 0.5 aces per set in her sophomore and junior seasons and nearly tripled that mark to 1.4 this year with Plano West. The key to her serving efficiency has been using her very high contact point and unleashing her power in a consistent way. A Pittsburg commit, Bayless has been able to do just that this season and the reward came in the form of 128 aces (and counting). She had her best serving performance in the season just one week ago, when she tallied 16 aces in just three sets against Plano.
Sujeili Mermella
Sujeili Mermella
A true utility player who can do everything on a volleyball court, Mermella has been a serving machine for San Antonio’s Antonian Prep. An elite-level volleyball player, she has refined her game on the sand and much of what she learned there helps with her serving efficiency, including her jumping ability, body control and her ability to send the ball anywhere on the court with a simple wrist movement. She’s already at 108 aces for the season, averaging one per set, and fired 15 aces in just three sets against Boerne last week.