Texas HS Playoffs: Ft. Bend Austin vs. Seven Lakes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's playoffs time in the high school season in the state of Texas and the next three will be the most intense and exciting of the year, with elimination places narrowing the list of contenders until division winners emerge in Garland on November 18.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More than ever, Prep Dig will be out there following matches around the Lone Star State as we continue to provide coverage of the most successful programs in Texas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bi-district is the first round of the postseason and I kicked off playoff coverage with the Division 6A duel between the Fort Bend Austin Bulldogs of Sugar Land and the Seven Lakes Spartans of Katy at the Wheeler Fieldhouse on Monday, October 30.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719148088982380680?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719148088982380680?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third-best team in District 19, Seven Lakes overcame Austin, the second-best side in District 20, with a three-set (25-21, 25-16, 25-18) victory to advance and face Stratford in the area round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Performers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["124148"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Burns delivered the two main things any coach would want from a right side hitter - production and consistency. The senior was very effective offensively, scoring at a very high rate from the right and the left, and remained as a viable scoring option from start to finish. She also came up big at the end of set one, truly the only moment in the match where Austin were able to challenge Seven Lakes, getting consecutive swings and an ace. Burns also did a very good job with her blocking, getting stuffs, forcing the Bulldogs to swing again and also getting touches that helped the defenders behind her.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6540722540752"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":473399,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/IMG_5282.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-473399" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fort Bend Austin vs. Seven Lakes</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Temi Sam-Olibale","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Seven Lakes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The senior outside hitter is a key cog in the Spartans' playing system and that showed again in the first round of the playoffs. Seven Lakes are a much stronger team when Sam-Olibale plays well and that's what she did against Austin, producing on both sides of the ball. The outside hitter was very productive offensively, getting set and scoring from the left and the middle back position, and made very few errors. Sam-Olibale also had a very steady and solid performance with her passing, helping keep the Spartans in system.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6540722540805"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719135020265140655?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719135020265140655?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["207678"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Getting production off the bench was one of the things that gave Seven Lakes full control of the match and Kuehn contributed a lot to it. Coming in on a double sub with right side Kate Cieslewicz, she not only kept the excellent level of fellow setter [player_tooltip player_id='196106' first='Simone' last='Romriell'], but also made a big impact with her serving, especially in the second set, when she had a long run that gave the Spartans a big lead. Kuehn was also excellent with her playmaking, making good decisions with her distribution, keeping all hitters involved and remaining accurate with her locations.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6540722540863"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719139058033774890?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719139058033774890?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='478110' first='Lily' last='Lott']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Seven Lakes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Katy United","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The middle-turned-into-outside-hitter seems much more adapted to her new role now than she was at the start of the season. Lott wasn't much involved offensively at the start but found her game during the match and was probably the best player on the court in set three, when she got into a rhythm and scored in almost every set she got. She used her length very well to overcome Austin's blockers and was very efficient with her decision-making. Lott also had some success with her blocking.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65407225408f2"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719144953383645246?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719144953383645246?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["233600"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Belcher came in for Lott to play the backcourt rotations and did a very good job there. The defensive specialist split the court with libero [player_tooltip player_id='468893' first='Megan' last='Chapman'] in serve-receive and was solid with her passing for the most part. She also made some strong defensive plays and was one of the team's best servers, registering some aces and consistently getting the Bulldogs out of system.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6540722540946"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719142699565998448?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1719142699565998448?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Tinsley Welker","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32561","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Fort Bend Austin","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Houston Skyline","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The freshman setter passed the test in the first playoff match of her high school career. Although Austin had some difficulties against Seven Lakes' blocking, Welker kept trying to find solutions, moving her hitters around and experimenting with different things at the net. The setter blocked in the middle in one rotation and looked very calm on the court the entire time.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65407225409ce"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":473365,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/IMG_5159.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-473365" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fort Bend Austin vs. Seven Lakes</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Bailey Blackburn","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32564","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Fort Bend Austin","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Texas One","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Blackburn and fellow outside hitter Kylie Beer had a challenging night, having to pass Seven Lakes' tough serves and face their big block. The junior handled well her backcourt duties, passing consistently and getting some good digs. She was also among the team's most productive offensive players, finding solutions to put the ball down, such as finding good angles and tooling the Spartans' block when she had a chance.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6540722540a57"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":473376,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/IMG_5202.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-473376" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fort Bend Austin vs. Seven Lakes</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->