North Texas Area Standouts – Update

We have written about the following young ladies before but wanted to give some updates on them. We have been watching very closely as they have been on our radar since we first posted our initial rankings almost a year ago. These North Texas volleyball players are show-stoppers and we can’t get enough of them on the court. They have worked so hard on their craft and put hours and hours of work to get better This just goes to show that if you continue to put in the work, people will notice. Kudos to these young ladies from the Dallas area.   [player_tooltip player_id="99504" first="Ava" last="Roberts"] [2022] 6-0 Right Side/Middle (HS: Mansfield/Club: Texas Advantage/ Verbal: Uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id="99504" first="Ava" last="Roberts"] was originally ranked as the 36th top prospect in the wonderful State of Texas, but has since moved up two spots to the 34th position in our Rankings. In a previous article we wrote the following about Ava: “She plays for the world famous TAV club and shines for them on the right side/middle. She is versatile enough to hit quick sets and high tempo on the pins. She is gifted with a super strong frame that is built for the college game. She will transition very well to the workouts at the next level. She can jump extremely well and rises up with the best of them. What truly stands out is her power on her attack. Her upper body is so strong that the ball comes off of her hand contact so quickly. When she presses on the block, there is no hitter who can break that seal. This is a great weapon for a team to have. She has played against some of the best teams in the nation and she still shines. She sometimes steps inside and runs a slide in transition and also runs quicks from the right.She is only a Junior but she is a Stud for Mansfield High School. This young lady has power for days and plays with so much passion. I love to watch her celebrate a kill or a block with her teammates. It is so infectious. She is a blocking machine on the right side and middle. Once college coaches see how she can play at all three positions at the net, they will fall in love with that athleticism.” This past high school season Ava was able to accumulate 247 kills mostly on the right pin, she hit a .290 hitting percentage, had 50 blocks, 84 digs, and 22 aces. She was a dominating force that helped her Mansfield team to a 21-3 overall record and an unblemished 14-0 district record. Her play also earned her 11-6A Co-Hitter of the Year So far in the club season she has helped her TAV 17 Black squad to winning the President’s Day Invitational Championship, and going undefeated in the Tour Stop for pre-qualified teams. Coaches this kid needs to be offered now! Don’t miss out on the talent. We will keep watching as she continues to wow the crowd around her court this club season.   [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 27th ranked prospect of the 2022 class 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. We are proud to announce that Miss Hartman has committed to Lehigh University. She is so versatile on the court and brings so much power, athleticism and raw fire to every team she plays for. We know that she will be a star for the Lehigh program the moment she steps on campus for them in a few years.” She was named 1st Team All District and helped her Decatur high school squad win a UIL 4A State Championship. So far in the club season she has helped her Texas image squad to a 3rd place finish in the Open division of the Nike Invitational NTR Bid Tournament. We are big Kota fans here at Prep Dig and look forward to covering her for the rest of the club season.   [player_tooltip player_id="99494" first="Miller" last="McDonald"] [2023] 5-8 Setter (HS: Lake Highlands/Club: Drive Nation/Verbal: Uncommitted) Miller is currently the 27th ranked prospect in the 2023 class according to the updated Prep Dig State Rankings. We wrote an article earlier in the year that stated, “This young lady excites me. She plays for a newer club out of the Dallas area, Drive Nation. They were formed by former NBA great Jermaine O’Neal. Their state of the art facility allows them to train at a very high level. Miller is a setter who loves her craft. She can be seen in a gym by herself setting to a target often. Her work ethic at such a young age is inspiring to watch. The ball comes off of her hands so smoothly that you can tell she was born to set. The fluidity of her arms during her follow through is a sight to see. She possesses great footwork to track the ball down and has excellent posture throughout her set. The set that truly raises my eyebrows is when she goes against flow behind her to a right side hitter. It usually takes years to master that set as it is one of the most difficult to perfect. Miller is pretty close to getting it perfect. When I see her do that at this young Freshman age group, I just shake my head and know that volleyball is in great hands with young players of this caliber already. It is safe to say that this young lady is one of the next great Dallas area setters. I suggest you college coaches take note NOW.” She has not disappointed this year. She is now a sophomore and has taken the reigns of her school program and is not looking back. She was just named the 7-6A District Setter of the Year as a sophomore by accumulating 168 assists, 54 digs, and 29 aces. So far in her young career she has been a four time USA Volleyball medalist as well as a 2018 National Championship. We have her listed as the 4th ranked setter in her age group. She has helped lead her Drive Nation team to a very high ranking and a Championship in the 16 Open Division of the President’s Day Invitational tournament. We are super excited for her future and will continue to watch her develop very closely.   There are many more amazing North Texas Area players to be aware of. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Texas Family!