Class of 2024 All-State Nominees – Middles – Vol 1
The 2021 High School season has been amazing so far! Along with our readers, we have been on pins and needles watching teams battle all season long. There have been some amazing tournaments and great district battles. We have been…
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Continue ReadingThe 2021 High School season has been amazing so far! Along with our readers, we have been on pins and needles watching teams battle all season long. There have been some amazing tournaments and great district battles. We have been talking to coaches, reading tons of stats, and getting lots of video submissions from parents and players regarding how everyone has fared over the course of the season. As we are funneling into the end of district play and about to head into the playoffs, we will be discussing some players who are being nominated for our inaugural Prep Dig Texas All-State Awards. Our end-of-season awards are going to be different because we are going to consider all divisions/conferences/classes together and pick the best of the best. The 2023 middles we will be discussing have been tearing it up and proving themselves all season long with some amazing statistics. Let’s meet some of the nominees:
Lainee Pyles Lainee Pyles 6'3" | MB Fossil Ridge | 2024 State #47 Nation TX [2024] 6-0 Middle (HS: Fossil Ridge/Club: Madfrog/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Lainee is currently ranked as the 11th best overall prospect and the 3rd best middle in the 2024 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. We profiled her this past year and here is a little of what we stated, “She is from a club who is known nationally as always having some incredibly athletic players who play at a high level. She has the frame and upper body power that will electrify for years to come. She understands the hard drive with her footwork to do some damage offensively in the middle on quick attempts. I like how she turns on the ball to hit the hard cut back shot to right back. It is almost impossible to stop when her setter is in system for it. She has incredible athleticism out of the middle and routinely scores on overpasses and 2nd contact kills. You can attribute this due to her incredible play in sand volleyball. It takes a special player to excel in both indoor and beach volleyball and Miss Pyles is one of those players who can easily transition from one sport to the other. She will be a force to be reckoned with for the next four years. We will grab our popcorn and watch the show. Please welcome her to the Prep Dig family and congratulate her on being ranked with the top players in the great state of Texas.” This season Lainee has been stellar on varsity. She has amassed 483 kills on a 271 hitting percentage. Her kill total is leading the entire state out of all sophomores across Texas. She also has 41 blocks and 54 aces on the year. Miss Pyles has proven that she is one of the best sophs on the court. Please help us congratulate her on the achievement of being in the running for an All-State award.
Aspen Maxwell Aspen Maxwell 6'1" | MB Summer Creek | 2024 State TX [2024] 6-1 Middle (HS: Summer Creek/Club: Houston Juniors /Verbal: Uncommitted)
Aspen is currently ranked as the 49th best overall prospect overall in the 2024 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays high school volleyball at Summer Creek High School and also club for Houston Juniors . We previously wrote an article about her and stated the following, “Miss Maxwell has already burst onto the scene as a Freshman standout for her varsity squad who went 18-8 overall and 10-2 in district. This past season she had 112 kills, hit a .226 hitting percentage, and added 40 blocks. She is showing out and will be looked at to keep the momentum going for Summer Creek as the years pass by. Her Houston Juniors team is tearing it up during the club season and is poised to be one of the best 15’s team in the nation. She has fantastic power and will be great under the tutelage of the great trainers at Houston Juniors . Please help us welcome Miss Maxwell to the State Rankings as we are excited to cover her this club season and for the future.” We have been watching closely and she has not disappointed. She currently has the 5thmost kills in the entire state amongst sophomores. Aspen has tallied 314 kills for her varsity squad to go along with 77 blocks and 10 aces. She has played against some amazing competition so far in her young career and has a very bright future. We are proud to announce that she has earned the right to be a candidate for an All-State award due to her play.
Austin Smoak [2023] 6-1 Middle (HS: Brandeis/Club: Alamo Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Austin is currently an unranked prospect in the state, but is playing her way onto the list this high school season. She plays for Brandeis High School and also for Alamo Volleyball out of the Lone Star region. Miss Smoak has the second most blocks in the entire state our of the entire sophomore class. She has accumulated 147 blocks on the year. She is one of the reasons why her varsity team has been ranked number one in the state for most of the season. She has truly stepped up this season from her role that she had last year. Austin also has 154 kills on a .232 hitting percentage. Her defense is one of the biggest reasons why Brandeis has a great shot at running the table on their way to the State Title. We would like to congratulate her on proving that she belongs in the discussion for an All-State award due to her play on the court. Help us congratulate her on the achievement.
There are many more amazing players that will be nominated. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes to see who ends up with a chance at one of the prestigious awards. 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!