A powerhouse conclusion is on the way at Volleypalooza. There’s no doubt about it now that the eight-team gold bracket is set. It looks like this:
- Cornerstone Christian-Cypress Ranch
- Rockwall-Keller
- Highland Park-Lovejoy
- Bridgeland-Prestonwood
On Day 2, 34 teams in Group 1 went at it in hopes of making it this far and remaining alive for the prestigious championship trophy. If you can make it to Rouse High School on Saturday for the last day of the three-day event it promises to be worth the price of admission as the last eight standing go toe-to-toe for top honors.
What’s ahead is a showdown of arguably the best the state of Texas has to offer this high school season with the trio of Cornerstone Christian, Prestonwood and Highland Park among the teams left standing. All three are looking to add another tournament title to their collection. Cornerstone took first at the John Turner Classic; Prestonwood was tops at the Battle at the Rock; and Highland Park captured last weekend’s Northwest ISD tourney. Prestonwood – undefeated on the year to date – has defeated Highland Park once already this season and a rematch could happen as soon as Saturday’s semifinals. Neither school has faced off with Cornerstone yet. Cornerstone’s only loss came to The Woodlands at the John Turner Classic, where Cornerstone also avenged that loss to The Woodlands in the final.
Through the first two days here at Volleypalooza, the trio has matched each other step for step. All three sit at 6-0 without a set loss among them. Of course, that’s going to change Saturday and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. It’s time to get hyped!
With the top three seeds holding it down, let’s take a quick look at how the other teams reached the final eight, followed by our Team Spotlight and Under The Radar Players.
Keller made it out of Pool 4 as the No. 3 team, going 3-0 with victories over Clear Springs, Westlake and Amarillo. In Pool 5, another No. 3 team in Rockwall advanced at 3-0 as well. Rockwall moved on by topping Sasche, Brandeis and Dawson.
Keeping the streak going is Lovejoy, which you guessed it, is yet another No. 3 team to break pool Saturday at 3-0. Lovejoy secured its spot in the quarterfinals by downing Dripping Springs, Round Rock and Pearland in Pool 6. In Pool 7, Bridgeland finished 3-0 as the No. 2 team by beating Canyon, Lake Creek and Prosper.
Pools 8 and 9 were three-team pools. Cypress Ranch went 2-0 in Pool 8 while Lake Travis went 2-0 in Pool 9. They went head-to-head for a spot in the quarters in crossover action. Cypress Ranch swept that one, 25-19, 25-18, to stay in contention.
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TEAM SPOTLIGHT
LIBERTY HILL – Hosts of one of the sites, the Panthers did well for themselves in Pool 2 on Friday. Liberty Hill finished 2-1, losing only to Prestonwood and picking up an upset over Southlake Carroll, 26-24, 27-25. The Panthers staged a remarkable comeback in Game 2, storming back to take the frame after trailing 16-4! The Panthers utilize two setters in junior Carson Glenn and sophomore Ava Hight. Keegan Walton suited up at libero to help out with defensive duties while 6-2 senior middle blocker Morgan Poulain provided needed height. Also check out more on junior right side Gigi Mason and junior outside Kealy Dirner in our Under the Radar players featured further down.
LOVEJOY – The Leopards are still in the mix and could be a threat to pull off an upset. They are one of the more consistently taller teams in the field with a pair of 6-2 players in sophomore outside Anna Barr and senior middle Hannah Gonzalez. Both setters on the roster have nice height as well in 6-0 sophomore Nicole Cornell and 5-11 junior Bethanie Wu. Senior right side Charlotte Wilson, sophomore middle Shelby Burriss, and sophomore MB/RS Sadie Jane Hand are among those listed at 6-0 or taller. Six more players are listed at 5-10 or 5-11, including sophomore outside Morgan VanVoorhis and junior outside Reagan Fitzsimmons.
KELLER – The Indians return key pieces from last year’s 6A runner-up squad and can’t be overlooked. Among those back are junior outside Reagan Sharp and senior middle Leah Ford. Keller also returns senior setter Taylor Polivka plus senior defenders Landry McEachern and Kea Whillock. Keller might not be favored to walk away with the title on Day 3 but the Indians won’t go down without a fight.
ROCKWALL – The Yellowjackets had a Friday to remember. All three matches went down to the wire as Rockwell downed both Sachse and Brandeis in the third 25-22, and Dawson 25-23 in the final set. (Third sets are played to 25). Rockwall will seek to play spoiler Saturday behind the big arm and play of 6-3 senior outside Becca Kelley, 6-1 junior pin hitter Harley Krause and junior pin hitter Kayla Bullard.
BRIDGELAND – The Bears have dropped just one set through the first two days. It came in a three-set victory over Canyon, 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, to close out pool play Friday. Bridgeland gets a crack at Prestonwood to open the quarterfinals. Plenty of offense flows through senior outside Olivia Waggoner, senior outside Kennedy Kays and senior pin Gracie Comeaux. Senior middle Molly McClure, sophomore middle Rebekah Pfefferkorn and junior right side Amelia Creacy will also get involved.
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UNDER THE RADAR PLAYERS
We’ll have our featured Show Stoppers compiled after tournament play concludes highlighting the top players we saw over the three days here. A lot of them we followed closely and wrote a lot about in club, so we are familiar with them. That leads us to wanting to showcase some players you might not have heard or read about and that’s who we mention below.
Skylar George, SR OH, Stratford – A 6-1 outside, George carries a nice arm. She’s a featured part of the offense and has to deliver a lot of points to keep Stratford competitive.
Nevaeh Smith, JR MB, O’Connor – At 6-1, Smith is a presence in the middle. She’s one of the stronger hitters when she gets set and can be a disrupter with her blocking.
Kelli Fording, SR OH, O’Connor – If you followed along with our Day 1 coverage, you’ll know we like outsides who are a bit undersized but compete hard. At 5-9, Fording isn’t the tallest outside but she has a good arm and is a smart attacker who knows how to use the block.
Alyssa Gonzales, SR OH/RS, Aledo – Gonzales is not undersized, not at 6-2. She’s a solid attacker who can lineup on the left or right side and score with equal effectiveness.
Mia Little, SR L, Aledo – Little is an unheralded libero who is a scrapper. She saw big hitters challenging her and didn’t flinch. She made a few big digs to keep rallies going and giving her team a chance to score points.
Chloe Morgan, JR MB, Barbers Hill – One thing we liked about Barbers Hill is how setter Peyton Fadal incorporates her middles. We’ll have more on Fadal in our Show Stoppers but Morgan is one half of the equation that helps balance the attack. She does well to make herself available and provide another option. And when set she knows what to do with it.
Avery Wilks, SR MB, Barbers Hill – Wilks – at 6-1 – was impressive. She can unload at times when called for. She also sees the court well and can cause problems tipping to the open spaces from sideline to sideline.
Aemilie Broussard, JR OH, Barbers Hill – Broussard is a steadying piece with her all-around contributions. She’s a six-rotation glue piece who can deliver a point when needed.
Audrey Jackson, Soph OH, Flower Mound – We liked Jackson’s aggression. She doesn’t back down and keeps putting pressure on defenses.
Payton Stroud, Soph S/RS, The Woodlands – A two-way contributor, Stroud sets and hits. She was showing good location when dishing and though she’s 5-9 was able to score when given the chance across the front row.
Nadi’Ya Shelby, FR OH, Friendswood – Shelby won’t remain under the radar any longer. At 6-0, she has lots of upside and don’t be surprised to be hearing her name often in the years to come as she grows and improves. She jumps well and flashed her potential on a few of her kills.
Meghan Donoughue, JR S/RS, Friendswood – A 5-11 S/RS, Donoughue is a definite gamer. She competes hard and is a dynamic player with her ability to set and hit. She has a strong arm when attacking and is someone defenses need to be aware of.
Kealy Dirner, JR OH, Liberty Hill – Earlier we said we had a couple more players to mention from Liberty Hill, including the undersized Dirner. She’s 5-7 but is tenacious. She has a whippy arm and goes for it repeatedly.
Gigi Mason, JR RS, Liberty Hill – Mason, a 6-0 lefty, made us take notice. She is springy with a good arm and is a key component of the attack. The offense opens up in a different way when she’s front row.
