Liberty Hill have a lot of talent at outside hitter with Gaines and fellow junior Annie Witt Annie Witt 5'10" | OH Liberty Hill | 2025 State TX . A six-footer, Gaines carries a larger load in the team’s offense and that makes of her a big part of the Lady Panthers’ playing system. She’s very long and powerful and uses those skills well to score points, but also does a good job of mixing things up at the net to put the ball down with tips and smart shots too. Gaines can also be impactful with her blocking and does a solid job on the backcourt. Ahead of the State Tournament, she registered 442 kills, 117 passes, 104 digs and 70 blocks for Liberty Hill.

If you’re looking for a six-rotation outside hitter who knows how to get the job done, you have found her! Not only can Taylor score by swinging, but she knows when to mix it up with a tip or roll shot. She leads through her actions on the court and stays poised while doing so.

Gaines was a stud for Roots 161 Green from her outside hitter position. Very long and strong, she was one of the team’s best offensive options. Gaines could probably overpower any blocker that got in her way, but she was smart and creative enough to find other ways to score, such as with tips and by tooling the block. She also added a lot from the backcourt, having a central role in the team’s passing system, getting a handful of digs in every set and using her serving skills to get opponents out of system.

Roots 161 Green had one of the best outside hitter duos in the division with Gaines and Annie Witt Annie Witt 5'10" | OH Liberty Hill | 2025 State TX . Gaines was the team’s go-to scoring option over the weekend and was very efficient in putting the ball down from the left and the right. She has size and power, but was also very creative and smart in finding other ways to score. Gaines also proved to be a very strong player on the backcourt, playing a big role in the team’s serve-receive and making good plays on defense. Her serves were also an important weapon for her team as she had some good runs from the service line.