High School Update– 4A Decatur Eagles

We recently wrote about the Eagles in September as they were highlighted as a team of the week. We have some great news to share as they have just earned a trip to the State Championship in 4A by sweeping Kennedale 25-18, 25-15, and 25-14. They dominated Kennedale this time but earlier in the season they were tested by them in a five set thriller that Decatur pulled out 15-13 in the fifth set. They will face Wimberley in the finals for the State Title on Saturday at 7pm at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. This will be a great match as both teams have been awesome on the court this year. Wimberley earned their trip to the Finals with a four set win vs Bellville yesterday 25-18. Wimberley comes in with a record of 30-4 and an undefeated district record. This is going to be a fun Championship match!   Decatur High School is located in the north Texas area and have been a volleyball powerhouse for a while. They have won the 4A State Championship three times prior in 2013, 2014, and most recently in 2018. This season they are on a mission. They have been patiently waiting just like every other school to get back on the court since the pandemic put everything on hold. When they got the green light to get back to playing, they put their foot on the gas pedal and have not looked back as they have throttled opponents so far in this young season. The Decatur Volleyball team is currently ranked as the 4thbest team according to the TGCA Volleyball Rankings. I have a feeling they will move up that list again. Here are a few of the players that are helping them continue their dominance on the volleyball court: [player_tooltip player_id="99533" first="Tayte" last="Helton"] [2021] 5-2 Libero (HS: Decatur/Club: Attack/Verbal: Uncommitted) Tayte comes in ranked as the 100th ranked player in the great state of Texas according to our rankings in the 2021 class. “She is a wonderful player who has starred for her Varsity team in Decatur since her Freshman year. She has earned accolades every year from her district and it is warranted. Last year during her Junior year, she was named Varsity captain and earned 1stteam all district. She will definitely move up the rankings once I update them in late October/early November. She is a natural libero and is a joy to watch. She has had multiple matches where she picked up well over 30 digs in each of them. Numbers like that show just how active she is and how well she does her job. She is one reason why her Decatur team has started off the season 13-0 so far this season. Her lower body moves so well while playing in left back for her high school team. She is extremely athletic and if any colleges are looking for a solid libero who can help their program next year…look no further as she deserves a look or two. We are excited to watch her during her senior season.” Tayte will be one of the main reasons why they go deep in the playoffs. This team is built with a fantastic offense, but once the playoffs come, they will rely heavily on her and her teammates to stop their opponents. She will no doubt rise to the occasion.   Trinity Vinzant [2021] 5-11 Outside (HS: Decatur/Club: TAV/Verbal: Uncommitted) Trinity is currently unranked according to our rankings in the 2021 class, but that will change once they get updated in late October/early November. She is a true six rotation outside hitter who is playing exceptionally well in her senior season. She plays with a ton of heart and is fun to watch after a kill as she celebrates with her team. She has a cannon for an arm and has been unloading on teams so far this season. She is able to hit out of multiple location on the court as Decautr loves to also have her pull back and serve receive pass out of the middle and swing in the front row. Trinity is able to play multiple positions on the court and if a small school still needs a player she is one to look at as she could definitely help a college program and is able to play at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="99503" first="Dakota" last="Hartman"] [2022] 6-0 Outside/Middle/Right Side (HS: Decatur/Club: Attack Volleyball/Verbal: Lehigh University) Kota is currently the 28th ranked prospect in the State of Texas according to the Prep Dig State Rankings. We wrote an article earlier in the year that stated “The aspect I love the most about Kota is how hard of an approach she takes to attack. She drives her feet into the ground so hard that I’m surprised they don’t leave holes in the ground. It’s almost as if her legs are angry at the ground and she’s punishing it with her jump. I love it. This allows her to sky when she’s swinging. If that isn’t enough, this young lady has an absolute cannon for an arm. She hits just as hard as anyone in her class. She showcases great hand contact control while scoring in multiple ways. She hits line better than most in the age group and can definitely swing the cross-court attack. The way she plays the game is just ferocious and it’s nice to watch. She has a wicked float serve that is very dangerous to her opponents. She is a six rotation outside who has great ball control as well. She is capable of playing on both pins and can shut down opposing hitters with her blocks also as she seals the net very well with a strong upper body and great length in her arms.” We feel very strongly that this young lady will continue to rise in the rankings with how strong she is on the court. She plays the game the way every coach would want a player to play…with heart! This season she has been nothing but spectacular for her high school team and she will help lead them to a deep run into the state playoffs. Kota recently committed to Lehigh University and we couldn’t be more proud.   Jentry Lamirand [2022] 5-10 Setter/Middle (HS: Decatur/Club: Muscle/Verbal: Southern Methodist University) Jentry is currently unranked according to our rankings in the 2022 class, but that will change once they get updated in late October/early November. She is a rare talent as she doubles as a setter and a middle. You rarely see that combination in a player, but Miss Lamirand does it with style. She is committed to SMU and we are excited to have her on our radar. She is a very athletic young lady who can do it all on the court. Her hands are great and she can jump set from anywhere on the court and deliver amazing sets consistently to the same location over and over. She has a lot of length in her arms and that allows her to push the ball with ease across the court to her hitters. As far as her offensive abilities are concerned, this young lady can explode for moments of firepower with the best of them in the middle or right side position. She uses her lightning quick arm swing to unload on her opponents. I love watching this young lady play in every position she plays on the court. Stay tuned to see where she ranks when I update the rankings.   We knew we were on to something when we profiled them in September. They did not prove us wrong and are ready to take the State Title on Saturday. We will keep a close eye and can’t wait to see how it goes.   We will be publishing more articles weekly to give recognition to those teams and athletes who are playing great in their matches. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone that you think deserves to be recognized as a player of the week, feel free to send me a message with their information. Or if you have anyone that you think have what it takes to be added to our database, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. As always, thanks for following our publication.