VYPE U takes a look at Grant Ament, a former Penn State collegiate lacrosse player, and how he has become the most hyped professional lacrosse player. Ament was selected first overall in the 2020 Premier Lacrosse League Draft by Archers. He enters as the player who left Penn State being the schools career leader in points and assists.
Taking a look at game number three of the PLL two week championship series, Archers vs. Atlas, Ament begins by having strong vision and immense power. Starting off, he really left an impression when it comes to the amount of assists he can vision and execute in a short amount of time. In the first quarter Ament starts off at X, also known as "behind the net," staying open while there's a battle for the ground ball.
We've got three Atlas defenders on two Archers attackers trying to win this ground ball. Marcus Holman (Archers) swiftly scoops through the ground and picks up the ball and proceeds to make a pass in, what seemed like, a second to Ament. Ament sees the lane to pass to Sankey. Sankey blasts off with power in his left hand executing a perfect shot and first goal of the game.
This great identification made by Ament may be what made him the number one overall pick in the league. In the same game, Grant becomes this important vision for the team and is able to identify certain pathways and openings to create plays. There's nothing more essential than vision when it comes to lacrosse. Take this play for example, the ball is going back and forth between players, not having any space for movement, the shot clock is running low, they have to get to the cage but then we get a skip pass from Shreiber then a behind the back from Holman to Ament.
Once Ament receives the ball he sees a lane opening while Atlas defenders are moving wider and wider apart trying to enclose other attackers. Ament passes the ball down this lane to Manny and he drives to the cage yielding the perfect goal. Grant Ament definitely made his mark in the world of assists. This game is only one of many where he shined. Ending this two week series with 20 points, 14 assists, 6 goals and a championship win for the Archers.
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.
