Houston Area HS Team to Watch: Tompkins

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high school volleyball season is about to start in the Lone Star State, and we at Prep Dig Texas can't wait to get back to the exciting routine of being out there multiple times a week and checking out how teams and players progress as the season unfolds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like the past years, we'll continue to provide the best coverage of the high school season in the Houston area and beyond, featuring weekly previews, match reports, standout reviews, photo galleries and social media posts, and giving the talented prospects in our state the exposure they deserve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before the season gets underway, we'd like to feature some teams from the Houston area we believe have the potential to have incredible seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tompkins</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tompkins Falcons had an excellent 2025 season, producing a 39-6 win record, winning District 19 and advancing all the way to the State Semifinals, where they were taken down by Austin in a dramatic five-set battle. Despite graduating a talented class, they are still strong enough to dream of finishing what they started in the upcoming season. Junior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='745042' first='Elsa' last='St Rose'] is their main scorer and will be pivotal in their campaign. Tompkins also have a pair of talented setters in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1015069' first='Drew' last='Merrell'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='790680' first='Ava' last='Shepard'], two physical and productive middles in senior [player_tooltip player_id='534310' first='Natalie' last='Kitts'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='952567' first='Toyosi' last='Sodipo'], a realiable outside hitter in senior Ava Johnk and promising young talent in outside hitter Genevieve Kitts and [player_tooltip player_id='752883' first='Ava' last='Williams'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["745042"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a73536216d55"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The junior outside hitter is the team's go-to scorer and is the one they will look for in key moments of matches. St Rose has an incredible combination of physical and technical tools that allow her to score from anywhere on the court. She rises very high up at the net, has a wide variety of shots to pick from, and does a great job with her decision-making. St Rose has a very complete game and also stands out with her aggressive floaters, her well-balanced blocking and her reliable passing, making an impact in every aspect of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/22964335/68cba1be556466a30cfc86dbu0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a73536216dc9"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["534310"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a73536216e27"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The senior offers the Lady Falcons a strong presence at the net, and, standing at an impressive 6'4", is a factor on both sides of the ball. Also capable of playing on the right, Kitts is a very prolific scorer who delivers power and precision every time she goes up to swing at the net. She also has remarkable footwork, which shows at its best when she hits the slide, as she quickly moves towards the ball and is capable of making quick adjustments on the go without missing timing. Her blocking is also game-changing, as Kitts moves very well at the net, rarely allowing opposing pin hitters to swing 1v1, and does a great job of using her lenght to get in the way of opponents and shut them down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15374559/68d7e9547018a501cde77b0cu0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a73536216e52"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":1015069,"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a73536216ea5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The most experienced of Tompkins' talented setter duo, Merrell stands out for her consistency and reliability. Her hitters know exactly what they're going to get every time she goes for the ball, and that's typically well-timed, accurate sets that get them in a great position to put the ball down. Merrell's distribution is another of her strengths, as she does a great job of keeping all her hitters involved, while also understanding who to prioritize in moments of pressure. She plays her leadership role with calm and confidence, consistently communicating with her teammates on the court, and is also a big asset on the back row, serving aggressively and showing excellent ball control when playing defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17157222/693c494f1759e0d80c55a55eu0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a73536216ece"} /-->