Dallas Top 250 Expo “Game Changers” Vol 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Dig Dallas Top 250 Expo was absolutely amazing!&nbsp; There were over 130 players from all over the great state of Texas, players from Oklahoma and also players from Arkansas that participated in this wonderful event.&nbsp; Volleyball is a true team sport in that it takes every single player to help a team compete.&nbsp; However, every team across all of the age groups has one or two players that are considered “Game Changers”.&nbsp; This moniker is given to those that literally change the dynamic of each team and give their squad a fighting chance to win.&nbsp; After watching all of these wonderful players during the two hour event, these were the players that I witnessed to be considered a true Game Changer for the Dallas Expo:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='318202' first='Layla' last='Austin']&nbsp;[2026] 5-10 Outside (HS: Southlake Carroll/Club:&nbsp;[program_tooltip program_id='431308' first='Texas' last='Advantage'] Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Layla is currently ranked as the 85^th&nbsp;best overall prospect in the 2026 class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but from what I saw at the Expo, she will be moving way up the rankings when I update them in a few months.&nbsp; She plays volleyball at Southlake Carroll High School and club for&nbsp;[program_tooltip program_id='431308' first='Texas' last='Advantage']&nbsp;Volleyball. &nbsp;Here is a little refresher of what I wrote in a preview article, “<em>This young lady's stock is on a meteoric rise after this high school season has shown us that she is for real.&nbsp; She led her team in quite a few statistical categories as a sophomore on varsity.&nbsp; Her play is a huge reason why the Dragons were 12-0 in district and are currently in the final 16 of the UIL State 6A Playoffs.&nbsp; We have seen her in person at our showcases before and I firmly believe she will steal the show at this event in a few weeks.&nbsp; If you don't know her name by now, I will make sure you do after we cover her body of work.&nbsp; There is not a location on the court that she cannot score from and her back row defense is just as good as her front row attacking.”</em>&nbsp; The only difference is now every court coach and scout that was in attendance saw just how dominant she is on the court.&nbsp; She was by far the best outside hitter to grace the court in every aspect of the position.&nbsp; We were extremely lucky to have witnessed her magic in person and think every coach in the country should be keeping their eyes on her this club season.&nbsp; Please help us congratulate her on earning the “Game Changer” award for this Expo.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='478989' first='Cheyenne' last='Gunner']&nbsp;[2026] 5-6 Right Side/Middle (HS: Grapevine/Club: Drive Nation/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cheyenne is currently an unranked prospect in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but is now on my official watch list with what I saw from her in person at the Expo.&nbsp; She plays at Grapevine High School and plays club for the Drive Nation program. &nbsp;She showed some impeccable timing during all of our blocking drills.&nbsp; Her ability to load up and get off of the ground very rapidly was on full display.&nbsp; I love how she jumps after the hitter to make sure that she is penetrating the net while the attacker is making contact with the ball.&nbsp; Miss Gunner was a joy to watch during the scrimmage drills as it looked like she had been playing with the other players all her life.&nbsp; To be able to come into a situation where you must incorporate timing into the offense with setters who you don't know well just shows you how athletic and adaptable she is as a player.&nbsp; This is the main reason why we have dubbed her a true “Game Changer”.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='254142' first='<strong>Kareena <strong>"Coco"</strong></strong>' last='<strong>Natarajan </strong>']</strong> [2026] 6-0 Setter (HS: Lovejoy/Club: Drive Nation/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coco is currently ranked as the 48^th best overall prospect in the 2026 class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings.&nbsp; She plays at Lovejoy High School and also club for the Drive Nation volleyball program.&nbsp; I have been lucky enough to be following Miss Natarajan for the past few years and she is getting better at such a rapid pace each time I see her.&nbsp; Colleges will notice the prototypical frame from this young phenom setter, but hopefully they see what I see.&nbsp; And that is a young player who truly enjoys the game and has phenomenal technique while dishing the rock.&nbsp; As a setter who can play all the way around at an elite level, it is imperative that you have more skills than just setting the ball and that is exactly what Coco has.&nbsp; Her all around skill set in the game of volleyball is what will keep every team she is on in contention to win each game.&nbsp; It is this very reason why she has earned the “Game Changer” award from our staff for this Expo.&nbsp; Keep following her journey and you will be very impressed with what you see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And 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 <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 Prep Dig Family!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->