2021 Dallas Area Standouts Update

We bring our attention back to the 2021 class as we have a few players that we would like to update our readers on. They have just finished their senior seasons in both high school and club and we would like to give them the props they deserve. They are all signed to play volleyball at the next level but before they leave to college we wanted to showcase them. Here they are:   [player_tooltip player_id="87446" first="Abby" last="Thigpen"] [2021] 5-10 Outside (HS: Arlington Martin/Club: NRG/Verbal: New Mexico) Abby is currently ranked as the 67th best volleyball player in the state of Texas according to our Prep Dig rankings. When we profiled her last summer we stated the following, “Miss Thigpen is a six rotation outside hitter who is committed to New Mexico and will be joining their program next season. Abby has a picturesque approach to the ball as she flies with ease in the air. It is a true joy to watch her soar for the set. And boy does she have a cannon for an arm swing. She is very gifted in her ability to swing both line and angle on both pins. She leads her high school program Arlington Martin in kills and has one more season to add to her high powered stats. She is a true point scorer on the left side. She has every shot imaginable and loves to mix it up to help her team score. She is able to get off of the ground very quick with her footwork and she truly utilizes momentum on her approach. We are very excited to see what she does in her senior season. “ In her senior season we saw Abby help her Arlington Martin team to a 21-6 overall record and a perfect 11-0 district record. In three years on varsity, Abby has been stellar tallying 484 kills, a career .207 hitting percentage, 187 digs, 122 blocks, and 37 aces. She is committed to playing college volleyball at New Mexico and we will be cheering her on and wish her the best of luck in her collegiate career.     [player_tooltip player_id="87447" first="Jenna" last="Roberson"] [2021] 5-7 Setter (HS: Victory Christian/Club: Texas Pistols/Verbal: Sam Houston State) [player_tooltip player_id="87447" first="Jenna" last="Roberson"] is currently ranked as the 68th top prospect in the State of Texas according to our State Rankings. We also profiled her last summer and we stated, “She is a fireball of a player who isn’t afraid to play against anyone. Being only 5’7” her club team uses her as a 5-1 setter in the front row. You might think that they give up a block with her on the right side, but she has amazing timing on her block and is able to slow and stop opposing outside hitters. She uses every ounce of her body to get up and press/seal the net. It is a great sight to see someone push as hard as she does on the court. As a coach at heart, it makes me very happy to cover players like her. She is a very active setter who moves very well on the court and is able to track any ball down. Her sets are very accurate for her hitters and they score very well. She is known to score herself with setter dumps and is very deceptive at them. She has been playing on her varsity team since she was a freshman and it is easy to see why when you watch how athletic she is. We wish her well on her senior season this year.” Jenna has had an incredible varsity career at Victory Christian in which she was able to accumulate 636 assists, 242 aces, 187 digs, and also 314 kills. This is a well rounded career and she will take those awesome stats to Sam Houston State where she will play college volleyball and realize her dream. We are excited for her and will continue to cheer her on while she works at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="87450" first="Grace" last="McLaughlin"] [2021] 5-9 Defensive Specialist/Right Side/Setter (HS: Lovejoy/Club: Dallas Skyline/ Verbal: Houston Baptist) Grace is ranked as the 67th best player in the 2021 class according to our State Rankings. We have profiled Grace numerous times on this past year and here is a little to refresh your memory, “This young lady is small for a right side but don’t tell her that because she plays very big. She is equipped with a super solid arm that scores at a very high clip. She is a joy to watch in the front row and especially in the back row. She is not scared to get dirty and be all over the floor. She is the type of player that does whatever it takes to get the ball up. You can tell that she plays with such tenacity in every aspect of the game. She is committed to HBU and will give them a much needed lift in their program just by the way she plays the game. She has a great touch on the ball in serve receive and in digging. We have her ranked not because of her ability to be just a right side, but because of her versatility. She is a setter also. She has a great feel for the position on the right side of the court and is able to deliver a very good ball to her hitters from all areas on the court. It is difficult to play one position in the amazing sport…but this young lady, in my opinion, could play any position you put her in. It is because of this, I ranked her in the State Rankings. We know she will do great things for her Lovejoy program in her senior season.” We were right about her and Lovejoy as they were able to complete a back to back State Championship. They completed a perfect season going 26-0 overall and 14-0 in district. In three years on varsity as a defensive specialist she has tallied 746 digs, 694 service receptions, 86 aces, and even added 19 kills. She will be able to play multiple positions at HBU and we will be watching and cheering her on. Being at Lovejoy during their dominance will for sure help her in her play at the next level.     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!