Tour of Texas Stop 1 Top Performers – Vol 2
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Two weekends ago some awesome players gathered under one roof in Austin and went into battle in impressive fashion. Nothing marks the true start of the season for me like the Tour of Texas does. We are blessed to have…
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Continue ReadingTwo weekends ago some awesome players gathered under one roof in Austin and went into battle in impressive fashion. Nothing marks the true start of the season for me like the Tour of Texas does. We are blessed to have some of the best talent in the nation in our wonderful state. It is truly a site to see when the best decide to put their talent to the test so early in the season against other top teams and see where they stand and what they need to work on for qualifier season later on in the year. Iron truly does sharpen iron when this occurs and Prep Dig was lucky enough to see it in person. What will follow is a series of articles of individual players who stood out while competing at a high level. Let’s meet a few of the standouts.
Halle Thompson Halle Thompson 6'1" | OH Grand Oaks | 2026 State TX [2026] 6-0 Outside (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: Houston Skyline/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Halle is currently an unranked prospect in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, but that will for sure change once I update them in a few weeks. She plays high school volleyball for Grand Oaks High School and club for the famed Houston Skyline volleyball club. Miss Thompson is hands down one of the best volleyball players in her age group. She is garnering lots of national attention as an attacker due to her very physical play. What I love the most about her is how effective she is at every skill set. This stems from her amazing beach volleyball play as she has to utilize every skill possible in the game in order to be great. And great she is. She is long, lean, and very fast on the court. Halle uses that length in a variety of ways on the court whether she is battling at the net or creating lots of range in the back row to dig balls way outside her normal reach. I would classify her as a true six rotation left side pin who can terminate. A true OH1 that many colleges would kill to have on their roster. It will be fun to have conversations on where she ranks with the state’s best as we publish the State Ranking list in a few weeks. Stay tuned to see where she lands.
Blaire Bowers Blaire Bowers 6'0" | OH Plano West | 2026 State TX [2026] 5-11 Outside (HS: Plano West/Club: Madfrog / Verbal: Uncommitted)
Blaire is currently an unranked prospect according to the 2024 Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but is on my watch list and should have no problem making it when I release it in a few weeks. She is a solid left side attacker that plays for Plano West High School and also club for the famed Madfrog program. I watched few of their matches during the Tour Stop #1 and was truly impressed with how consistent Miss Bowers was in both the back row and while attacking at the net. Some players were just born to play the sport and you can see it in her eyes when she competes. This young lady has a very high ceiling to keep improving and become a juggernaut that many coaches will be drooling for. She is fully capable of leading a team in both passing stats and attacking stats due to her ball control. I never saw her get rattled which means she has some nerves of steel during times when the game gets a little tight. Every coach would love this in a player and it is something I noticed when watching her battle with her squad. I will be watching her very closely and think you all should too as she continues to progress and show the world who she truly is on the court.
Danielle Whitmire Danielle Whitmire 6'1" | S Walnut Grove | 2026 State TX [2026] 6-0 Setter/Right Side (HS: Prosper/Club: Texas Advantage Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Danielle is currently an unranked prospect in the 2026 class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but that will change in a few weeks when I update them. Miss Whitmire plays at Prosper High School and also for the awesome Texas Advantage Volleyball club program. She has the frame of a seasoned older veteran and can push the ball to any location along the net with her powerful upper body. I love how extremely technically sound her fundamentals are and this is what will keep her listed amongst the greats in her grad class for years to come. Her location and soft hands are putting her in the discussion of best setters in her age group and I cannot wait to release the rankings to show what we think of her. When I watched her play, I immediately noticed just how solid her posture was while setting the ball. It is “textbook” to say the least and should be used to demonstrate to all young players just how it should look in the position. She will be a fun one to watch as she helps lead her super solid squad this year. Stay tuned for more on this beast of a setter.
As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!