Texas HS: Cy Ranch vs. Waller

<p>District play is quickly progressing in the high school volleyball season in the state of Texas as in just two months from now we'll know the teams that will earn the right to compete at the State Tournament, where the champions will be crowned.</p>   <p>We, at Prep Dig, are excited to cover another season here in Texas and will try to be in as many matches as possible over the next two months to follow the journeys of the many rising stars in our state, providing coverage that includes articles, photos and social media highlights.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1837256007032131784 </div></figure>   <p>On Friday, September 20, we followed some District 16 action, going to Cypress to catch the duel between the Cypress Ranch Mustangs and the Waller Bulldogs. Playing at home, Cypress Ranch (27-5) faced some resistance from Waller (29-8), but was able to get a sweep (25-19, 25-17, 25-22) and improve to 3-0 in district play - the Bulldogs are now at 1-2.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Performers</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">The senior outside hitter led the Mustangs with an excellent performance, playing solid volleyball on both sides of the ball. Porter was Cy Ranch's main offensive weapon and responded well, consistently scoring points throughout the match. She used her firepower and explosiveness to beat blockers and defenders, but was also excellent in catching them off guard with precise tips and shots, mixing things up very efficiently - she hit at a good rate from the left, the right and the middle back position. Porter was targeted by some Waller serves at the start of the match but handled them well and forced their opponents to change their strategy. She was also very active on the backcourt, playing strong defense and recovering shanked passes and digs.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1837242532767617269 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">The sophomore middle used her length and athleticism to be a factor at the net. Playing against shorter opponents, she made the most of her high contact point to put the ball down and also had some of the most powerful swings in the match. Reynolds also made a nice impact with her blocking, moving quickly at the net and getting in the way of opposing pin hitters, who had to work hard to find their way around her long arms.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_7538.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664098" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cy Ranch vs. Waller</figcaption></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">The junior made solid contributions in her double duty as a setter and right side hitter. Bello gave the Mustangs a very interesting offensive rhythm, keeping all her hitters involved and moving them around to maximize their efficiency - she was particularly smart with how she fed her middles. When at the net, she turned into a hitter and was very efficient, making good choices to put the ball down and avoid errors. Bello also made a difference on the backcourt, getting several digs and generating transition plays for her team.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_7484.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664084" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cy Ranch vs. Waller</figcaption></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Srubar only played the three backcourt rotations, but was able to make an impact every time she came in. The junior setter kept the team's offense running smoothly, distributing the ball well and being extremely precise with her locations. Srubar also contributed with her tough serves, getting Waller out of system and making things easier for the Mustangs. She was particularly important the first time she was subbed in as she helped Cy Ranch come back from a four-point deficit early on with a long serving run and some efficient defense. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_7456.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664075" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cy Ranch vs. Waller</figcaption></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Waller's dynamic middle had a strong offensive performance. Winfrey displayed an interesting ability to hit several different sets in the middle and kept Cy Ranch's blockers on their toes because of her impressive variation - she was particularly more effective hitting a shoot set near the pin and the slide set. Although undersized against the Mustangs' taller middles, she worked hard and played with a lot of energy and battled them. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_7517.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664094" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cy Ranch vs. Waller</figcaption></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Keys did everything she could to give her hitters the best chance to score against a strong Cy Ranch team. The sophomore setter was very creative with her playmaking, moving hitters around and getting crafty with her distribution, even if at times it took a little bit from her precision. Keys was very steady during the match and did a good job of trying to find solutions to difficult situations. Starting in the second set, she became more aggressive with her setter dumps and showed a nice repertoire.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_7401.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664062" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cy Ranch vs. Waller</figcaption></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">The senior outside hitter played a big role in Waller's offense and was set quite often, on the left, the right and the middle back position. Johnson got off the floor extremely well and displayed interesting resources to put the ball down, making good decisions with her swings and finding some nice angles to go around the block. She also did a fine job with her passing and defense. Johnson had some ups and downs during the match, but never took too long to recover from the moments of instability.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_7498.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664087" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cy Ranch vs. Waller</figcaption></figure>

District play is quickly progressing in the high school volleyball season in the state of Texas as in just two months from now we'll know the teams that will earn the right to compete at the State Tournament, where the champions will be crowned.