Houston Area Five Players to Watch: 5A – District 21

The high school volleyball season is set to start in just a few weeks in the state of Texas and after a quick break following the conclusions of the club season, we can't wait any longer to watch the top prospects of the Lone Star State in action again.   There will be several thousand players in action across the 1,207 high school teams that compete in the six divisions of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and among them, there are some very talented ones, who certainly have a bright future in the sport.   As we continue to preview what the high school season will look like in the Houston area, we shift our focus from teams to players and highlight five of the most intriguing prospects in the districts located in the region.   In today's piece, we'll feature Division 5A – District 21:   [player_tooltip player_id="141244" first="Alex" last="Bull"] – Middle Blocker – Magnolia – Club: Houston Skyline – 2023   A very physical and dynamic middle blocker, [player_tooltip player_id="141244" first="Alex" last="Bull"] is the type of player who can make a difference at the net. She's a very good blocker, moving her 6'2” frame around extremely well and doing an excellent job when putting pressure on opposing hitters. Bull is probably an even better hitter, though, as she combines size, power, a very high contact point and an interesting ability to hit from either pin. She joined Magnolia last season and left a strong impression with her 302 kills, 126 digs and 107 blocks.   Ava Martindale – Libero – College Station – Club: TAV Houston – 2023   Very quick and technical, Ava Martindale has been one of the fastest-rising liberos in the region as of recently. She had an excellent club season with her TAV Houston club team and will return to College Station ready to build from her last year's campaign, which saw her produce 109 digs, 60 passes and 48 aces in a limited, defensive specialist role. The 5'5” Martindale is very quick on her reactions and also very strong mentally, not shutting down or even losing focus during matches.   [player_tooltip player_id="99493" first="Brooke" last="Bentke"] – Outside Hitter – Brenham – Club: Houston Skyline - 2023   A Texas State commit, [player_tooltip player_id="99493" first="Brooke" last="Bentke"] is one of the best up-and-coming outside hitters in the entire state. At 6'2”, her length is obviously a valuable tool on offense, but Bentke can score points in a variety of different ways because of her excellent technical skills and very high volleyball IQ. She's also a very solid defensive player, who not only has the skills, but also works very hard on the backcourt to keep the ball up in the air. In three seasons of high school volleyball, Bentke has amassed 1,285 kills, 1,066 digs and 1,051 passes, 160 aces and 117 blocks and these numbers will considerably rise in 2022-2023.   [player_tooltip player_id="87566" first="Evyn" last="Snook"] – Outside Hitter – Magnolia West – Club: [program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] – 2023   Capable of playing on either side of the net, [player_tooltip player_id="87566" first="Evyn" last="Snook"] has been a force as an outside hitter for her Magnolia West team over the years. She's very tall and athletic at 6'2” and goes very aggressively to hit, even when she deals with sets off the net. Snook is, however also capable of scoring with finesse and smart tips, making of her very difficult to read. She also does a good job on defense and has produced 831 kills, 661 digs, 531 passes, 110 aces and 86 blocks across three seasons (the first of which she played as a setter).   [player_tooltip player_id="177530" first="Reagan" last="Aponte"] – Setter – Rudder – Club: [program_tooltip program_id='431076' first='Brazos' last='Valley Juniors'] - 2024   An extremely creative and reliable setter, [player_tooltip player_id="177530" first="Reagan" last="Aponte"] has just the perfect balance between doing the unexpected and remaining consistent for her hitters. Her ball distribution is excellent and she's a constant to score on setter dumps. The 5'5” Aponte was an all-district first-team selection last year and is earning quite the reputation across the state after having registered 1,302 assists, 362 digs, 122 kills and 98 aces in just two high school seasons.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/ReaganAponte/status/1493594216714457095?s=20&t=HOr9WPfz6lMnFfpWNgp97g </div></figure>

The high school volleyball season is set to start in just a few weeks in the state of Texas and after a quick break following the conclusions of the club season, we can't wait any longer to watch the top prospects of the Lone Star State in action again.