Dynamic Outside Hitters at the Katy-Cypress Tournament

The high school volleyball season is about to start in Texas and, in just a few more days, weekday evenings in every corner of the Lone Star State will be filled with exciting matches, where the most talented prospects of the state will be able to compete and show what they are about.   The first weeks of the new season are typically filled with tournaments and one of the biggest and most competitive of them is set to take place this week. The Katy-Cypress Tournament reunites the top teams from two of the most competitive districts in the Houston area and beyond, attracting high school programs from other regions, such as Austin and San Antonio.   This year's edition of the tournament will feature as many as 48 varsity programs, which will compete between Thursday and Saturday in eight high school campuses in the area. Prep Dig Texas will be on-site following the action, but before it starts, we'd like to shortlist some players who will be in action in the tournament who have tremendous potential, this time focusing on the outside hitters:    Smith and her team A&M Consolidated are set to play their first matches at Cy Falls HS, where they will face Klein Cain, Cy Falls and Deer Park. A heavy hitter, she's one of the team's main scoring options and is capable of playing on the left and the right, offering some flexibility for the team. Smith is very explosive, gets the floor well and has tremendous firepower in her right arm, which makes of her the main target for her setter in out-of-system plays. Even though she has enough power to beat blockers in virtually any situation, the outside hitter also does well when she tools the block or tips the ball over it.      Walden's Cy Woods team will host one of the tournament's pools, having Morton Ranch, Foster and Cedar Park as opponents. The outside hitter has been a key piece in the team's offense since her freshman and that should be even more true now that she's a senior. Capable of playing on the left and the right, Walden makes excellent use of her six-foot frame, making contact with the ball at a very high point to beat opposing blockers. She developed her offensive game in a remarkable way over the last three seasons and does a great job of combining power and finesse into her swings. Another aspect of her game that saw significant growth throughout her high school career is her passing.      Klein will be with Deer Park when they play Cy Falls, Klein Cain and A&M Consolidated at Cy Falls HS. An elite defensive player, she stands out as one of the top liberos in the state in her age group during the club season, playing for [program_tooltip program_id='510661' first='Houston' last='Skyline'], but during high school, she transitions back to outside hitter. She's instrumental in the team's playing system, keeping Deer Park in system offensively with her impeccable passing and generating many scoring opportunities with her excellent defensive skills. Despite being a little bit undersized, Klein holds her own extremely well at the net, getting off the floor well and displaying great vision to find excellent spots to swing at.      Gibson will also be in action at Cy Woods HS, where her team Willis will meet College Park, Cibolo Steele and Cy Creek. A sophomore, she's a very important player for the team with her ability to contribute in different areas of the game and her ability to limit her errors and play with great consistency. Gibson is very reliable in serve-receive and will often be seen covering a large portion of the court when opponents are at the service line. Her game at the net is also very impressive as she has good length and firepower, but truly stands out for her incredible court vision and her resourcefulness in finding solutions to difficult situations.      Lott and her Seven Lakes team will play at district rivals Cinco Ranch HS, where they will face Magnolia, Cy Park and Memorial. A middle-turned-into-outside hitter, she's one of the team's most productive players at the net, combining excellent size and power and great decision-making. Lott is also an elite blocker, who's not only capable of putting up a big block in front of opposing hitters, but also of reading them well and reacting in the last second. She did a great job of improving her ball control over the last couple of years and is now very comfortable in serve-receive.

The high school volleyball season is about to start in Texas and, in just a few more days, weekday evenings in every corner of the Lone Star State will be filled with exciting matches, where the most talented prospects of the state will be able to compete and show what they are about.