Given the relative infancy of Water Polo being an official UIL sport, many are unfamiliar with the trials and tribulations of the sport.
Not only is there a physical toll, with players being required to tread water for the entirety of the match, but there is a mental aspect which Travis senior Jack Woodruff is all too familiar with.
“Water polo requires a lot of mental toughness,” he said. “But, you tend to realize that this is what you’ve prepared for and you put your mind to it. The game takes plenty of teamwork and communication to succeed, which goes with any team sport.”
Swimming has come naturally to Woodruff, dating back to his days in club swimming. However, he and his teammates had to pick up water polo on the fly when the program first started his junior year.
Some of the stars of 2023-24 FB Travis Water PoloBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“We started scrimmaging to get familiar with the sport, when the UIL first recognized it,” Woodruff said. “It was new for all of us… the coach, the team and me, especially. Learning everything was quite a challenge, but I learned to love the game and have taken off since then.”
So, what serves as Woodruff’s inspiration when it comes to his athletic career?
“It’s been two people – my Dad and my club swim coach,” said Woodruff. “My Dad has been teaching me about sports my whole life, starting as a kid when we’d play football in the living room much to my Mom’s dismay. He’s been my biggest supporter when I’ve gone through some mental blocks. In regards to my swim coach, she helped me to fall back in love with the sport and convinced me to do it throughout the rest of high school.”
Woodruff will be in the pool for the majority of his senior year, considering he will compete on the water polo team in the Fall and the swim team in the Winter.
However, this will be the final year he does so, as he pursues another passion of his at the university he hopes to attend – Texas A&M.
“I’m a member of the school’s FFA program,” he said. “I actually have two steers, right now – one will be going to the Fort Bend County Fair and the other I will be entering into the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. That’s part of the reason I want to go to A&M. I’m very interested in animals and agriculture, so I can easily see myself doing something on that route. I would also potentially like to become a teacher or coach down the line.”
Before he ironically commits himself to the land, expect Woodruff to give it his all this year, which will mark his swan-song season in the pool.
The south Houston area is loaded with talented athletes who give it their all in their respective fields of play.
Welcome to the VYPE Playmakers powered by UTMB Health, where we’re highlighting five standouts from this season who stole the headlines.
Here are the UTMB Volleyball Athletes of the 2024 Season, who represented South Houston with style this Fall.
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Mackenzie Collins -- Shadow Creek
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
In her first year back with the Shadow Creek program, Mackenzie Collins did exactly what we expected her to do -- bulk up an already-thriving squad.
By the end of their season, the Sharks advanced all the way to the UIL-6A-D2 Region III Final for the first time ever, and finished with a stellar record of 35-12, which was a mark that Collins had plenty of responsibility for.
When all was said and done, the Texas-commit had registered 615 kills, 222 digs, 44 blocks, and 53 serving aces in 2024.
Of course, she had plenty of help on the floor, with Bella Law (Jr. S), Lauryn Wiley (Jr. L), Aspen Brown (So. OH), Kennedy Proctor (So. MH) each making significant contributions throughout the year.
But, the clear impact that the senior middle blocker had on this team cannot be denied, which was addressed when we named her the All-VYPE Middle of the Year.
Collins can now turn her attention to the Under Armour Next All-American game in January, prior to what should be another spectacular season on the track for the future Longhorn.
Samantha Loyd -- Dickinson
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Dickinson was one of those squads that some overlooked prior to the Fall. However, they wasted little time in changing that status.
In what was easily their best performance over the past decade, the Gators wound up going 33-13 this year, which was capped off by an appearance in the Area Round.
This was thanks, in large part, to the remarkable efforts made by senior Samantha Loyd.
From the outside hitter position, Loyd managed to produce a whopping 685 kills, 401 digs, 762 receptions, and 62 blocks throughout the Fall, which naturally resulted in her being named the Co-District 24-6A MVP.
While the season might have ended sooner than she might have hoped, Loyd should feel pride in her achievement as she finishes out the remainder of her senior year before moving on to Stonehill College.
Avery Koonsen -- Pearland
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
With coach Jamie Gill at the helm, the Oilers were widely regarded as one of the most dominant forces to come out of the Houston-area entering the postseason.
After claiming the District 22-6A title, Pearland proceeded to reach the third round of the playoffs, where they were ultimately bested by eventual State Finalist Fulshear, ending the year 40-6 overall.
Despite that fact, it can be argued that this was one of the state's most balanced rosters.
Among its numerous stars -- primarily Kimanni Rugley, Cora Wolford, Adrienne Enriguez, Emily Brock, Aaryn Brown, and Britney Solomon -- the one that seemingly shined brightest for the Oilers was none other than Avery Koonsen.
While the same could be said for Rugley (North Dakota-signee), who was named the District MVP, Koonsen was the spark that ignited the team's considerable run.
She went on to obtain the single-season 500-kill milestone as a junior, and received first-team, all-district honors.
Koonsen is still uncommitted, but if she keeps up this level of play, she could easily find herself on a D1 college program one day.
Caylee Young -- Clear Springs
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Although they compete in one of the city's toughest districts, Clear Springs still managed to secure their third-straight 24-6A title before advancing to the Area Round of the playoffs.
The Chargers (29-17) proved that they could compete with the best of them, as they were only narrowly eliminated by Shadow Creek in a five-set thriller.
Offense was certainly the team's strong-suit, as sophomore Caylee Young flourished in an expanded role this campaign, to the tune of 496 kills. 345 digs, 676 receptions, and 53 blocks.
Given that impressive stat-line, it's no wonder that she was given a first-team, all-district nod.
There will be plenty of cause for optimism for coach Shannon McClellan and co. heading into next year, as a significant portion of their play-makers -- including Young, Lianna Kearns, and Karmen O'Quinn -- will be back in action.
Kirra Musgrove -- Lutheran South Academy
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
When it came to private school ball in 2024, there were few teams quite as dynamic as LSA.
The Pioneers were a juggernaut throughout the regular season, as they cruised to a TAPPS-5A District 5 championship (10-1) before reaching the postseason once again.
However, given some unfortunate illnesses and/or injuries, Lutheran South would fall 3-1 to Legacy Prep in the Regional round, which cut short their mission to reach State again.
Regardless of how the season ended, the impact that senior Kirra Musgrove has had on the program throughout her career will not go unnoticed.
The Texas A&M-signee earned herself a first-team, all-state selection after racking up 380 kills, 451 assists, and 228 digs during her swan-song year.
Given all that she's done with the team, Musgrove has cemented her status as a legend at Lutheran South Academy, before she moves on to Aggieland less than a year from now.
That doesn't mean LSA (31-7 finish) won't remain a contender next Fall.
Expect younger sister, Addison Musgrove (Fr. OH) and junior setter Aniston Collins to maintain the status.
Some of the stars of 2023-24 FB Travis Water PoloBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
