Countdown City Classic Runner Up – TAV Houston 16 Adidas
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The start of the club season is always exciting and nerve racking to say the least. The Countdown City Classic tournament in late December has been a good litmus test for teams getting ready for the grueling season. There were…
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Continue ReadingThe start of the club season is always exciting and nerve racking to say the least. The Countdown City Classic tournament in late December has been a good litmus test for teams getting ready for the grueling season. There were some amazing teams that were going to battle this weekend and this series is going to give our readers a glimpse into how teams and players fared. Without further ado, let’s take a look at who peaked my interest as I watched the footage from BallerTV.
The 16 Open division was stacked with talent all throughout each pool. One team we have been eager to watch is TAV Houston 16 Adidas. They ran through the competition last season and made it to USA Nationals with a great roster of athletes and awesome coaches. They added one of the best outside hitters in the state of Texas and some would argue in the nation in Arianna Muoneke Arianna Muoneke 6'0" | OH Cy-Fair | 2026 State TX . This team has the size, power, ball control, and amazing team defense to compete in the Open division of qualifiers this season and they showed it in this early season tourney.
Although every member of this team deserves to be honored for their contributions before and during the tourney to get this team to the level of what they showed, here are just a few stars who shined when I watched them play a few matches online:
Arianna Muoneke Arianna Muoneke 6'0" | OH Cy-Fair | 2026 State TX [2026] 6-1 Outside (HS: Cy Fair/Club: TAV Houston /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Arianna is currently ranked as the 5th best overall prospect in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings. She plays for Cy Fair High School and also for the TAV Houston volleyball club. Here is a refresher of what we have written about her before, “Miss Muoneke is a super high-flyer whose offensive capabilities are out of this world at such a young age. She has all of the makings of a future high division one recruit already.” There are some players who excel in one aspect of volleyball, but Arianna is one of those rare players who can dominate a match in so many ways for her squad. The offensive output that she brings is second to none, but I love the way she plays defense. If given the opportunity to play back row consistently, she will be one of the most complete players in the country in no time. We strongly suggest that you give her a look because she is a force to be reckoned with.
Gabriela Santiago Gabriela Santiago 5'8" | OH Oak Ridge | 2026 TX [2026] 5-9 Outside (HS: Oak Ridge/Club: TAV Houston /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Gabriela is currently an unranked prospect in the state according to the 2026 Prep Dig Texas State Rankings, but is on our official Watch List. She stars for Oak Ridge High School and plays club for the TAV Houston volleyball program. When I watched the championship match, Gabby truly stood out to me because of her athleticism in both the front row and the back row. She is an offensive weapon who is truly coming into her own. I think this could be a breakout year for her in our eyes. I love that she is a weapon on offense no matter where she is on the court. Her ball control and defense in the back row will go a long way with this team as it competes at a high level. I will be watching her very closely to see if she cracks the State Rankings list in our next update. I think you all should be watching as well.
Cali Reece Cali Reece 5'5" | DS/L Grand Oaks | 2026 State TX [2026] 5-6 Libero (HS: Grand Oaks/Club: TAV Houston /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Cali is currently ranked as the 18th best overall prospect in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings. She plays for Grand Oaks High School and also for the Texas Advantage Volleyball Houston club. Here is a little refresher of what I have written about Cali before, “Liberos are known to be the type of player who will run through a wall in order to keep the ball alive for their team. They are as tough as nails and unbreakable. This is exactly who Cali is as a libero and will fly all around the court even if her legs fall off of her body. She is the epitome of tough and is no stranger to playing with bumps and bruises without complaining. Every college coach in the country should see how tough she is and we know that they will love it just as much as we do when we cover her. She has exceptional ball control and is called up on to handle primary passer duties for her talented squad. While a lot of liberos play very erratic while digging emergency balls, Cali can be seen to be very calm with her platform.” The only thing that has changed about her play is that it has gotten even better with some awesome experience. In the championship match, her serve receive was able to keep this team in system to take the match to three sets. Having a back row floor general like her is a god send to her coaching staff.
Here were some other key contributors to their run to the title. Setter Carly Thomas Carly Thomas 6'0" | S Kingwood | 2026 State TX was phenomenal in running offense and dumping to score whenever her team needed it. Middle Keaton Points Keaton Points 5'11" | MB Dawson | 2026 State TX did a great job closing the block and taking away a lot of space at the net. Setter Shannon Dworaczyk Shannon Dworaczyk 5'9" | S Magnolia West | 2026 TX looked great at calling out routes to her hitters and delivering hittable balls to everyone. She served tough also. Right Side Mia Crowley Mia Crowley 6'0" | RS Providence Classical | 2026 State TX was her usual hard swinging self and we loved what we saw from her. She will be a big contributor for this squad this season.
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 Michael@prepdig.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments. Keep them coming!