Texas HS Playoffs: Cinco Ranch vs. Cy-Fair – Top Performers
Another round of the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) High School Volleyball Playoffs was completed on Tuesday, November 7, and now only four teams from each region stand in each division ahead of this weekend’s Regional Tournaments which will determine…
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Continue ReadingAnother round of the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) High School Volleyball Playoffs was completed on Tuesday, November 7, and now only four teams from each region stand in each division ahead of this weekend’s Regional Tournaments which will determine the programs that will compete in the State Tournament in just over a week.
On the second and final day of the Regional Quarterfinals, I went to the Merrell Center, in Katy, to follow the Division 6A – Regions 3-4 duel between Katy’s Cinco Ranch Cougars and Cypress’ Cy-Fair Bobcats.
The Cougars (35-5) kept a strong rhythm for most of the match to secure a 3-1 (25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 25-19) win over the Bobcats (30-15) and advance to the Regional Semifinals, where they will face Pearland’s Dawson Eagles (38-9).
Top Performers
Gabriella Martinez Gabriella Martinez 5'11" | OH Cinco Ranch | 2025 State TX
Gabriella Martinez Gabriella Martinez 5'11" | OH Cinco Ranch | 2025 State TX
Cinco’s main offensive player, Martinez performed her duties at a very high level, leading the team’s offense with a match-high 19 kills and keeping a good rhythm from start to finish. She was the focal point of the Cougars’ offense and didn’t disappoint, scoring at a good rate and making very few errors. Gabi unleashed her power when at the net and found excellent angles when swinging from the middle back position. She also handled well the serves that went her way and made several good plays on defense, delivering a solid all-around performance.
Cinco’s influential setter played another strong match, leading her team on the court and running its offense in a very intelligent and effective way. O’Brien kept all her hitters involved, making things harder for Cy-Fair’s blockers, but picked up the right options in critical moments of the match, making good calls with her ball distribution. She played good defense during the entire match and scored in back-to-back kills at the end of set two. Kassie exercises her leadership with the Cougars in a great way, leading by example, and because of that she can strongly impact the team with a single play – against Cy-Fair, she hustled to recover a shanked pass in set three in a play that ended with a Cinco point and that shifted the momentum of the game at that point.
Emily Killam
Emily Killam
Cinco were extremely strong in the middle, with both Killam and fellow senior Shea Rainosek. She played with a lot of energy and was an important offensive piece for the Cougars, hitting several different sets and scoring at a very high rate with swings and tips to contribute seven kills. Killam also did a very good job patrolling the net, handling overpasses and free balls very well and getting quickly to the pins, which made things harder for Cy-Fair’s hitters.
Ariana Willis
Ariana Willis
The senior right side had an excellent offensive night, remaining as a viable scoring option for Cinco during the entire match and ending the game with eight kills. The high-flying Willis had great success hitting a quicker set on the right when in system which gave her a big advantage over Cy-Fair’s blockers. When she had to work with higher sets and face a well-structured block, Willis displayed excellent shot selection, finding gaps, tooling the block and using tips to score.
The sophomore outside hitter once again led Cy-Fair’s offense and her high production of 17 kills and one ace helped her team extend the match against a strong Cinco Ranch team. Muoneke had some ups and downs during the match against the opponent’s solid defensive system, but stepped up in big moments for her team, scoring critical points that helped the Bobcats win set three. She also registered 14 digs and five passes in the match.
Emily Abad
Emily Abad
The senior libero had a very active night and made life harder for Cinco Ranch’s hitters that went her way. Abad made several impressive digs, ending the match with 29, many of which in hard-driven swings from the left that she managed to control in a very impressive way. The libero was also reliable with her passing, leading the Bobcats in that department too with 31, and tallied two of the team’s three aces as well.