Texas High School Report – 5A Playoff Teams to Watch Vol 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Texas High School volleyball season is finishing up district play and the field is setting for the UIL State Playoffs.&nbsp; Everyone is playing hard in order to chase the ultimate prize, a State Championship.&nbsp; We have some intriguing storylines stemming from a top-notch and action-packed regular season.&nbsp; Let's take a look at some teams who are ready to make a solid run and a few individual players who can help them compete.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year's Division 1 champion Flour Bluff Hornets graduated their big gun, Maggie Croft, who led them with 707 kills and over 1530 attempts, which was almost fifty percent of their entire offensive game plan each match.&nbsp; But they had three youngster who are now leading the charge.&nbsp; They are 37-8 overall and once again undefeated in district play.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='486925' first='Alyssa' last='Thornton'], Kate Croft, and Emily Eggleston are the offensive three-headed junior monsters who want to go back to back.&nbsp; They were all integral to last season's championship run and that kind of experience cannot be overlooked.&nbsp; All three can kill the ball with authority and you cannot cheat toward any one of them because of the lethality of the others that can also hurt you.&nbsp; Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='369839' first='Lola' last='Fisher'] leads the team in assists and has been a staple of this team's success over the last few years.&nbsp; The coaching staff has a lot of faith in her soft and sure hands. &nbsp;Fellow setter, junior [player_tooltip player_id='766310' first='Kristina' last='Rodriguez'] also plays a huge part in making sure the six-two offense keeps rolling.&nbsp; Junior [player_tooltip player_id='482063' first='Addison' last='Mayo'] anchors the back row and leads the team in digs and is all over the floor in serve receive and hitter coverage to make sure that this team has a fighting chance.&nbsp; She has the ball control and experience to make sure that the offense stays in system.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Braunfels Unicorns were ousted last year during a deep playoff run by the eventual champs, but they bring back their entire offensive weapons from last year's squad.&nbsp; You can tell that they are hungry after they almost tasted dessert last season by their 40-5 overall record and undefeated district record.&nbsp; Senior [player_tooltip player_id='339153' first='Kingsley' last='Minus'] and junior Shaylie Schaefer look like mirror images of each other when it comes to the offensive output.&nbsp; They are dangerous when the ball hits their hands and are scoring threats wherever they are on the court.&nbsp; Fellow seniors Addie Harrington and Kendall Kreusler are seasoned veterans who want to go out on top.&nbsp; Both have been stellar this season when it comes to scoring the volleyball.&nbsp; Junior [player_tooltip player_id='888788' first='Riley' last='Lundegreen'] also has been one of the top contributors offensively for the Unicorns.&nbsp; You cannot discount the impact that Emma Harrington has had on this squad's impressive season.&nbsp; When you have balance like this all across your roster, it means that everyone has bought into the dream and that is scary for anyone who matches up with them.&nbsp; Both setters, [player_tooltip player_id='339153' first='Kingsley' last='Minus'] and Valerie Wadas, move the ball around well and get everyone involved.&nbsp; Junior libero [player_tooltip player_id='642407' first='Hayden' last='Jeffers'] uses all of her five foot one frame to dig everything that comes her way.&nbsp; She has been phenomenal all year making sure this team does not give up because of her stellar defense.&nbsp; Look for another solid run during these playoffs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Aledo Bearcats are putting their name in the hat with their 37-3 overall record.&nbsp; There are two very big reasons that this team is scary to everyone, [player_tooltip player_id='808006' first='Alyssa' last='Todd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='806306' first='Kaelee' last='Berkley'].&nbsp; These two have been on fire all year and there is no stopping them completely.&nbsp; With almost 800 kills between the two of them and hitting percentages that are super efficient, they are primed and ready for the long haul.&nbsp; Payton Patrick and Karsyn Trott have also been extremely efficient at the net with both having over .330 as hitting efficiency for the entire year.&nbsp; Two seniors who know exactly what it takes to guide this team to a deep run are Sophie Frank and Kailey Hamilton.&nbsp; With only fifteen ball-handling errors on the entire year between the both of them, this squad's offense is in great hands, literally.&nbsp; Year in and year out, this team has always been a powerhouse and this year is no different.&nbsp; One big reason for their continued success is ball control.&nbsp; There might not be anyone better than super phenom libero [player_tooltip player_id='433561' first='Karsyn' last='Evans'] who has been a top defender since she picked up a volleyball.&nbsp; She definitely knows high level ball and can be a huge difference maker in this team's winning ways.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite teams and athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->