Texas HS Match to Watch: St. John’s vs. Episcopal
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The high school volleyball season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and during the next two months, hundreds of matches will be played across the Lone Star State until we know the new state champions. Prep…
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Continue ReadingThe high school volleyball season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and during the next two months, hundreds of matches will be played across the Lone Star State until we know the new state champions.
Prep Dig will be covering multiple matches every week and featuring the players that stand out the most for their performances over the course of the season, but we’ll also preview some matches that have the potential to be very interesting ones.
The private high school leagues also have some exciting matches and here’s one of them:
St. John’s vs. Episcopal – October 5, 6:30 PM – @ St. John’s HS
St. John’s
The St. John’s Mavericks from Houston are undefeated in the Southwest Prep League – South District with five wins. The team has a 17-8 win record for the season and lost to Episcopal twice, in a non-district match and at the Houston Open. St. John’s have an elite setter in senior Reese Animashaun Reese Animashaun 5'10" | S St. John's | 2024 State #89 Nation TX , who leads the team in assists (580) and also contributes offensively (88 kills and 38 aces) and defensively (191 digs and 26 blocks). The sisters Kiran Rio Kiran Rio 5'9" | OH St. John's | 2026 State TX and Sonia Rio Sonia Rio 6'1" | OH St. John's | 2024 TX lead the Mavericks offensively from the outside hitter position. A sophomore, Kiran has 139 kills and 157 digs. A senior, Sonia, who often plays on the right, has 127 kills. Senior Chloe Davis has been very productive on defense (321 digs) and from the service line (34 aces). Right side/middle blocker Jacey Carroll Jacey Carroll 6'0" | MB St. John's | 2027 State TX is having a promising freshman season, with 122 kills and 16 blocks.
Episcopal
The Episcopal Knights from Bellaire also have a 5-0 win record in the Southwest Prep League – South District and have been in great form all season, holding a 26-9 campaign for the season. The team has a pair of talented senior setters in Kara Thomas and Tiara Gordon and rotates them very well on the court. At outside hitter, the all-around game of senior Allyson Frailey fits extremely well with the offensive power of junior Mackenzie Collins Mackenzie Collins 6'1" | MB Episcopal | 2025 State #48 Nation TX , who transferred from Shadow Creek and has spent most of her career in the middle. The Knights also have an elite libero in senior Mykayla McMillian Mykayla McMillian 5'3" | DS/L Episcopal | 2024 State TX . Senior Jenniya Lane and junior Vanessa Reed are the two most used players in the middle, while left-handed sophomore Mary Taylor has been getting a lot of playing time on te right.