Houston HS Previews: 6A - District 23 - 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 23   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepdig.com/?p=564226">Team Previews</a></li> </ul>   Five Players to Watch    Morrow was huge for Atascocita as a freshman and should be able to do even more this season with more experience under her belt. The outside hitter has very solid technical skills and handles her serve-receive duties extremely well, besides coming up big with timely digs at the middle back position. Morrow is also very efficient at the net, playing aggressively and with a lot of energy. She gets off the floor well and can swing with tremendous power, but has excellent vision and precision with her finesse shots too, delivering even when under pressure.      Donaie is a highly impactful player for Goose Creek Memorial, making a difference for them on both sides of the ball at the net. The middle is the team's go-to scoring option and has developed her offense in a way that she can handle the load, hitting all sorts of different sets and making great use of her long frame. Recently, Donaie has been set on the left and the right on some rotations, giving her a different look to score and making the task of stopping her even more difficult. The senior is also an outstanding blocker, using her footwork to move well at the net and playing aggressively above the net with her arms.      Marbley is the centerpiece of Humble's playing system, playing a major role for the team, especially at the net. She's extremely athletic and can jump very high, which allows her to make contact with the ball at a very high point regardless of the situation. Marbley has a very interesting approach, starting her run almost at a diagonal angle to the net, but can shorten it in transition and still get a lot of traction with just one step. Her right arm is quick and powerful and allows her to smash the ball in tough angles to score.      Sawyer forms a very talented setter combo with [player_tooltip player_id='254134' first='Carly' last='Thomas'] at Kingwood. Her 6'1" frame is the first thing to stand out when she's in action but after a few minutes of watching her, one will notice that she's far more mobile and skilled than many would have thought. Sawyer does an excellent job of making the most of her length to accelerate the game, making contact with the ball at a much higher point than most setters would. She's obviously far more productive than the average setter at the net, but also has great ball control to make plays on the backcourt.      Capable of playing as an outside hitter or in the middle, Bean is a valuable asset to her Summer Creek team. She's typically used at the pin with her high school team and plays a big offensive role for them, getting set very often and, most importantly, in key moments. Because of her vertical, Bean is capable of making contact with the ball at a very high point and that usually gives her a lot of options in terms of how to beat opposing blockers. She also makes a strong defensive impact in her team with her blocking presence, getting stops and slowing opponents down with her arms above the net.

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.