Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier.
You've already seen the VYPE Austin preseason public school volleyball rankings, so it's time to learn about the contenders. Check out the team breakdowns below, and look for more preseason coverage in the coming days!
No. 1 Dripping Springs Tigers (Reached 2018 UIL 5A State Semifinal)
Dripping Springs charged to the UIL 5A state semifinal in 2018, so it's motivated to finish what it started in 2019. The Tigers will be a tough out because they have all-state senior talents in Avery Kalsu and Sarah Nading. Kalsu was the Austin area's top female athlete from the 2018-2019 school year and is a Tulsa commit, while Nading will play at Abilene Christian after high school graduation.
No. 2 Leander Rouse Raiders (Reached 2018 UIL 5A Region III Semifinal)
Leander Rouse had a down year by its standards when it fell in the 2018 UIL 5A Region III semifinal, but is expected to bounce back and be one of the area's best in 2019. The Raiders will feature a strong unit this season, including a trio that's headed to Division I college programs. TCU commit Grayson Schirpik is an outside hitter, Texas bound Reilly Heinrich is a libero, and future New Mexico athlete Kara Erfurth is a setter, while Madison Butler provides important depth.
No. 3 Georgetown Lady Eagles (Reached 2018 UIL 5A Area Round)
Georgetown advanced to the UIL 5A area round in 2018, and has a strong group of returning players to record an even better finish in 2019. Setter Emery Herman will lead the Lady Eagles as an Arizona commit, and is coming off an all-state season like middle blockers Makenzey Blades and Brianna Stovall, libero Taelyn Jones and setter Annika Flora.
No. 4 Austin Vandegrift Vipers (Reached 2018 UIL 6A Area Round)
Austin Vandegrift won 32 games and advanced to the UIL 6A area round in 2018, and has the necessary returning talent to finish as the area's top 6A team in 2019. The Vipers have a trio of college recruits in Oregon commit Annie Stadthaus, Rhode Island bound Brynne Wright and future Lipscomb athlete Delaney Dilfer. Stadthaus is a middle blocker, Dilfer is a setter and Wright is an outside hitter. Along with them, look for key contributions from Audrey Green and Egadi Santos.
No. 5 Cedar Park Timberwolves (Reached 2018 UIL 5A Area Round)
Cedar Park won 31 games and advanced to the UIL 5A area round in 2018, and that was before new coach Lori McLaughlin stepped on campus. The Timberwolves welcome the person who led Fort Bend Ridge Point to last year's UIL 6A state final, so they have high expectations for the 2019 season. On the court, they will lean on outside hitter/right side hitter/middle blocker Avery Cole, middle blocker/right side hitter Jaelyn Grimm, outside hitter/defensive specialist Kaitlin Davis, defensive specialist/setter Madison Alexander, setter Olivia Meyer and outside hitter Abbi Lemmond.
No. 6 Schulenburg Shorthorns (Reached UIL 3A Area Round)
Schulenburg earned 31 wins and a trip to the UIL 3A area round in 2018, but is expected to be more of a threat in 2019. That's because the Shorthorns have a quartet of all-state talents. Abilene Christian commit Erin Treybig will lead a group that also includes Brynlee Hollas, Julie Guentert and Erica Otto. Treybig is a setter, Hollas is an outside hitter, Guentert is a libero and Otto is an opposite hitter. Additional depth will come from middle blocker Madison Landeche and outside hitter Elizabeth Seyl.
No. 7 Westlake Chaparrals (Reached 2018 UIL 6A Area Round)
Westlake won 37 games and advanced to the area round of the UIL 6A playoffs in 2018, and has the expectation of being one of the area's frontrunners in 2019. Expect middle blocker Genevieve Perry to have a big role in continuing the Chaparrals' winning ways.
No. 8 Round Rock Dragons (Reached 2018 UIL 6A Area Round)
Round Rock won 36 games and advanced to the area round of the UIL 6A postseason, and will be a playoff contender once again in 2019. The Dragons are led by Coastal Carolina commit Lauren Malone, who acts a senior outside hitter on the court. Another notable is libero Joley Plummer, who's back for her junior year.
No. 9 Round Rock Westwood Warriors (Reached 2018 UIL 6A Bi-District)
Round Rock Westwood was a UIL 6A bi-district finalist in 2018, and has the necessary returning players to clinch its 10th consecutive trip to the UIL postseason. The Warriors will lean on a balanced attack that includes senior middle blocker Audrey Quesnel, senior right side hitter Zoe Menendez, senior defensive specialist Abi Rucker, junior setter Kenzie Beckham and junior outside hitter Abby Gregorczyk.
No. 10 Thorndale Lady Dogs (Reached 2018 UIL 2A State Semifinal)
Thorndale volleyball's trip to the UIL 2A state semifinal kicked off the high school's very successful 2018-2019 athletic school year, so Central Texans are ready for an encore. The Lady Dogs only have two returning starters, so the roles of outside hitter/middle blocker Madi Smith and outside hitter/setter Landri Leschber will be enhanced this season. Allison Albert, Rainey Buchanan, Jayci Martinka and Ashley Pesl also provide the necessary depth to record another successful campaign.
For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEATX) on Twitter.
Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.
