Houston HS Previews: 6A - District 14 - Five Players to Watch

After nine months of grinding for their club teams, volleyball prospects in the state of Texas are ready to turn their focus to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school season, which is set to start soon, with the first matches set for August 12.   It will definitely be an interesting season to follow after the realignment promoted by the UIL, which altered the scenario in several districts, as well as the new competition format, which will split the playoffs into two divisions, and Prep Dig will be following the action closely in the Houston area, providing weekly match reports and photos of the most exciting duels.   We've already previewed each of the 12 districts in the region, indicating what each team could expect in 2024, so now it's time we shortlist a few players in each of those districts that deserve your attention.   District 14   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepdig.com/?p=550983">Team Previews</a></li> </ul>   Five Players to Watch    The starting setter for Benjamin Davis, Marshall is a key piece in the team's playing system. She's not very tall, but is technically sound and very precise and reliable with her actions. Also a basketball student-athlete, Marshall is very athletic and that reflects on how well she moves on the court, which comes in handy when she has to track passes off the net. The setter has excellent ball control and led the team in assists and digs last year, going over 500 actions on both skills.     MacArthur's most physical and explosive player, Martinez is huge for them at the net. Her game has made impressive strides over the last few years and she's only gotten better with how well she uses her big body to impact the game at the netm besides developing other areas. Martinez is an excellent blocker, who moves well at the net and uses her long arms to put pressure on opposing hitters. She can play anywhere at the net and has been mostly used at the pins lately to make the most of her offensive potential.      Gibson plays a major role for Nimitz, giving the team a solid and productive presence at the net. She uses her size well to make an impact in the game, making contact with the ball at a very high point offensively and putting on a big block in the way of opposing hitters. Gibson spends most of her time in the middle but also swings in the left and the right, being the team's most-used offensive weapon.      Ivory will be a big part of Spring's game in 2024 with her ability to make an impact at the net. Capable of playing at either pin, she gets off the floor very well and has a very quick right arm. Even when Ivory is not capable of putting a lot of power into her swings, she's still very precise with her shot selection, scoring at a good rate. She's also a solid blocker, who reads the game well and is very effective when dealing with overpasses.      Robinson operates as Westfield's floor general, leading the team from the backcourt in her libero position. She's extremely agile and is always ready to fly to the ball to make a dig or a pass and is very precise with her actions. Robinson typically plays defense in the middle back position, from where she has more freedom to trust her reading and make last-second moves to get digs. She's also very disciplined in covering her hitters and often goes into long serving runs.

After nine months of grinding for their club teams, volleyball prospects in the state of Texas are ready to turn their focus to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school season, which is set to start soon, with the first matches set for August 12.