Setters to Watch at the Katy-Cy Fair Tournament

The high school volleyball season officially kicks off in the state of Texas this week, and some exciting preseason tournaments are set to take place in the Lone Star State as varsity teams prepare to begin their district campaigns very soon.   One of them is the Katy ISD-Cy Fair ISD Tournament, a traditional event that gathers some of the best programs of the Houston area and other regions of the state in the Katy and Cypress areas. In 2026, as many as 48 teams will play on six high school campuses in the area from Thursday, August 13, to Saturday, August 15.   Prep Dig Texas will cover the event and take a look at some of the best players in the state very early into the new season, but before the action begins, let's introduce you to some of the most promising prospects who will be on the court in the event. These setters can make a difference for their teams:    Welker-Brown will play for the Fort Bend Austin team that will face Cy Ranch, Cinco Ranch and Cy Ridge in the first round of the tournament. Now a senior, the setter will continue a prolific high school career that saw her set a new school record and surpass 3,000 assists while also leading the Bulldogs. Welker-Brown's game checks all the boxes one would want from an elite setter, as she's tall, well-rounded, has excellent setting hands and is always calm and composed on the court. While her distribution will make the absolute most of Austin's hitters, she'll also manage to contribute in other areas of the game, scoring points as a hitter or on setter dumps, offering a strong blocking presence and playing good defense.      Shepard sets for the Tompkins team that will begin its campaign against Magnolia, Fort Bend Travis and Cy Lakes. Entering her third year with the team, she continues to evolve as a player and to have a bigger role with them. Shepard is always very clean and consistent with her setting, which goes a long way in terms of keeping her team's offense flowing, and also does well when she has to work with passes off the net, remaining accurate even when making contact with the ball off the net. The setter is a big asset on the back row, too, often getting opponents out of system with her serving and playing excellent defense at the right back position.      Penberthy and her Klein Cain squad will play against Cibolo Steele, Cy Fair and Freeman in the event's opening day. She was arguably the team's best player as a freshman and will be even more central in their playing system in her sophomore season. A lefty with excellent size, impeccable touch on the ball and a very high volleyball IQ, she makes everyone around her better and is capable of influencing her team's level of play in a way not many setters can. Penberthy makes the absolute most of her technical skills, keeping her team's offense flowing very smoothly and efficiently. She's extremely well-rounded and can be both a scoring weapon, taking on hitting duties when at the net, and a difference-maker on defense.      Newton sets for the A&M Consolidated team and will guide them against Bellville, Memorial and Cy Springs in the opening round of the event. The junior's playmaking is very creative and unpredictable, and she never backs down from setting against the flow, which keeps opposing blockers guessing at all times. Newton is, however, a setter who thrives in out-of-system plays, too, as she makes great effort to get in the best possible shape to the ball and feed her teammates with hittable sets. The setter is a vocal leader on the court, serves aggressively and works very hard on defense.      Sanders will be with Canyon when they play Cy Ridge, Oak Ridge and Mayde Creek on Thursday. She had an excellent junior year with them and will want to do even more as her high school career winds down. Sanders is an elite playmaker, combining creativity and improvisation to create favorable situations for her hitters, but who can also be pragmatic and efficient when the situation calls for it. The senior is also an elite defender who's always alert to make an impact on the back row and is very difficult to score on at the right back position.

The high school volleyball season officially kicks off in the state of Texas this week, and some exciting preseason tournaments are set to take place in the Lone Star State as varsity teams prepare to begin their district campaigns very soon.