High School Team Feature – The Woodlands Highlanders
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The high school season is entering its final portion in the state of Texas as the playoffs quickly approach and every team in the state has been on the court more than enough times for us to have a good…
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Continue ReadingThe high school season is entering its final portion in the state of Texas as the playoffs quickly approach and every team in the state has been on the court more than 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. The Highlanders from The Woodlands High School are our team of the day.
The Squad
Despite the graduations of the talented Reagan Whatley, Lily McWhorter and Cassidy MacLean, the Woodlands remains as one of the top teams in the Houston area this season. The Highlanders have tons of talent with the strong setter duo of Claire Dewine Claire Dewine 6'1" | S The Woodlands | 2023 State TX and Olivia Chojnacki, reliable point-scorer Ella Lewis Ella Lewis 5'11" | OH The Woodlands | 2025 State TX , consistent libero Molly Tuozo and dynamic middle blocker Marjorie Johnson.
Key Players
Claire Dewine Claire Dewine 6’1″ | S The Woodlands | 2023 State TX has the complete package when it comes to being an elite setter. At 6’1″, size is not a problem and she’s also extremely technical and intelligent with her ball distribution. Dewine is extremely accurate even when setting against the flow and nothing really seems to bother her on a volleyball court. She becomes a hitter when she’s at the net and is one of the most used offensive players in the team, converting at a high rate and making very few mistakes.
A dynamic and highly-productive prospect, Lewis is The Woodlands’ top option at the outside hitter spot. She’s a tremendously skilled offensive player who has a lot of alternatives in her game and combines power and finesse in a perfect way. Lewis makes great decisions when hitting and is the kind of player who never loses confidence in her game. Very complete, she’s also great when it comes to passing and playing defense.
Highlights
Tuozo has emerged as one of the best liberos in the area in the last club season and carried her excellent form into the high school season, establishing herself as The Woodlands’ starting libero. Very skilled and reliable, she’s impressively consistent with her passing, which always finds the team’s setter, no matter what. Her excellent positioning sets her apart on defense and Tuozo is also a very good server. She also does a great job when she needs to set in transition.
Marjorie Johnson
Marjorie Johnson
The 6’1″ Johnson provides some size and power to the Highlanders down the middle. Besides her great size, she also jumps very well and hits the ball hard, proving to be a tough matchup for anyone across the net. Johnson is also versatile and has good efficiency when hitting from the left. Her blocking is big and aggressive, helping her team’s defensive system get the job done behind it.
Olivia Chojnacki
Olivia Chojnacki
Chojnacki plays just the backcourt rotations, turning Dewine into a hitter at the net, and the Highlanders typically have great success with that formation. She’s very intense on the court and likes to run a fast-paced offense with her hitters but is always very accurate and doesn’t overload a single hitter with multiple sets, keeping several of them involved in the team’s playing system instead. Chojnacki is also a solid server and helps the team with that too.