High School Report – Teams to Watch Vol 7

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Texas High School season is well underway and there have been some teams that are separating themselves from the rest of the pack this season.&nbsp; This series will be highlighting a few of them as everyone marches through their district schedule.&nbsp; Let's take a closer look at who is standing out for these teams on the rise.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lovejoy Leopards</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a few things you can always count on in Texas.&nbsp; One is that summer lasts for 362 days and the other is that Lucas Lovejoy Leopards will be in the running for a state title.&nbsp; For the past decade, they have been one of the top volleyball programs in their division.&nbsp; It doesn't matter who graduates each year, they always have the “Next Woman Up” mentality.&nbsp; This year they are currently 20-9 overall and a perfect 5-0 in district play.&nbsp; Phenomenal freshman outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='534291' first='Gentry' last='Barker'] has told everyone with her play that she is the real deal.&nbsp; She leads the team in kills and you can tell she is hungry for more.&nbsp; Super sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='254302' first='Skylar' last='Jackson'] is well known by us at Prep Dig for her stellar play on the pins.&nbsp; She is the total package and has ball control for days in the position.&nbsp; Junior middle [player_tooltip player_id='179902' first='Shelby' last='Burriss'] is super fast patrolling the net and is a match up nightmare for opposing coaches.&nbsp; She can block well by pressing over the net and gets up fast off of the floor.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='212729' first='Anna' last='Barr'] and Sadie Jane Hand are big for the Leopards.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='124135' first='Bethanie' last='Wu'] is running a phenomenal 5-1 offense.&nbsp; She has the experience needed to lead this team to a deep run in the playoffs.&nbsp; We have seen her for the past three years come into her own and become one of the best setters in the state.&nbsp; Senior libero [player_tooltip player_id='155119' first='McKenna' last='Brand'] is one of the best hardnosed defenders that you definitely want in the back row.&nbsp; She knows what it takes to win and has the ball control to back it up.&nbsp; We will never count out this wonderful school and awesome community who backs them up well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rockwall Yellowjackets</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Yellowjackets are 22-9 overall and undefeated at 5-0 in District 10-6A.&nbsp; Senior pin [player_tooltip player_id='197071' first='Harley' last='Krause'] has been unstoppable this season.&nbsp; She is scoring points on both pins for Rockwall, but this is nothing new as she has been stellar for her entire career.&nbsp; All this young lady knows how to do is score points on a volleyball court.&nbsp; Junior outside [player_tooltip player_id='254159' first='Halle' last='Jameson'] is another tall and strong pin who everyone needs to watch out for.&nbsp; Senior middle Sydney Lafferty is putting up some big numbers in her final year.&nbsp; The tall 6 foot two stopper has been hitting the corners very well with her quick sets and is hard to slow down.&nbsp; Senior Kayla Bullard and Junior [player_tooltip player_id='254277' first='Melanie' last='Guevara'] provide some serious firepower for this well-balanced squad.&nbsp; Senior setter Gabi Ashcraft has been one of the best setters in her grad class since she stepped foot on the hardwood court as a sophomore.&nbsp; Senior libero [player_tooltip player_id='184660' first='Sophia' last='Armstrong'] is a stud and leads the team in overall ball control.&nbsp; She passes extremely well out of serve receive and digs everything in the back row.&nbsp; Super sophomore defensive specialist Audrey St. Clair is another ball control expert who keeps this team in system.&nbsp; We will be watching this team very closely as they play well together and have the balanced attack to be competitive against anyone who stands in front of them.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Allen Eagles&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Allen Eagles are currently 22-10 overall and are 4-1 in one of the toughest districts in the state.&nbsp; A few things about this team are that they are not afraid of anyone and will be battle tested once the playoffs start.&nbsp; Senior outside hitter Alyssa Boyte leads the team in kills and has power for days.&nbsp; Stud phenom sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='235287' first='Kennedy' last='Crayton'] can flat out fly!&nbsp; She does this on the pins and it is very difficult for anyone to jump with her.&nbsp; She is second on the team with kills and plays excellent in the back row to help the team stay in system.&nbsp; Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='307449' first='Sophia' last='Wilson'] is no stranger to high-level volleyball and she is leading this team by dishing the rock to all of her awesome attackers.&nbsp; I love how athletic she is digging balls out of the right back zone and tracking the pass from serve receive.&nbsp; The abll is coming out of her hadns very fast to all of her hitters.&nbsp; Junior libero Avery Penrod is doing exactly what is needed on the defensive side of the ball to keep this team super competitive.&nbsp; Junior [player_tooltip player_id='314726' first='Katelyn' last='Bowman'] has been very versatile playing middle and right side for the lady Eagles.&nbsp; She has a dynamic right arm that is very explosive attacking the ball.&nbsp; Do not count this squad out as they will be a load for any opponent who gets matched up with them later on in the playoffs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->