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THE HOT 100: Smith, Thompson, Bryant are the leading ladies of Greater Houston; photo gallery
The VYPE Hot 100 "Girls List" recognizes the Top 50 female athletes in the Houston area, celebrating those who have distinguished themselves through elite performance, athletic achievement and impact on their respective programs.
The primary factor in determining the rankings was their performance during the 2025-26 school year. Additional consideration was given to multi-sport athletes, college commitments, national recruiting status and overall accomplishments at the district, regional, state and national levels.
The result is a collection of the area's most dynamic and accomplished athletes — competitors who have proven themselves on the biggest stages in 2025-26..
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Halle Thompson, Grand Oaks
TOP 50
No. 1 EK Smith, Katy, Softball
Nation’s Top Softball Recruit, State Champ (OU-commit)
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No. 2 Halle Thompson, Grand Oaks Volleyball
2X State Champ, Under Armour All-American (Wisconsin-signee)
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No. 3 Macie Bryant, Barbers Hill, Softball
Super Ace; Threw Perfect Game in State Final (LSU-commit
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No. 4 Kennedy Simpson, Summer Creek, Basketball
Led team to back-to-back State Titles, All-State (Tulane-signee)
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No. 5 Sara Wiggins, Lake Creek, Softball
Ace on Back-to-Back State Champs (Wichita State-signee)
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No. 6 Landri Von Gonten, College Park, Wrestling
Junior is a 3x State Champion
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No. 7 Elsa St. Rose, Tompkins Volleyball, Basketball and Track
District MVP led Falcons to Final Four
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No. 8 Lainy Zabiegala, Lake Creek, Soccer
Scored nearly 40 goals on State Champion Team
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No. 9 Emerson Lechler, Foster, Volleyball and Softball
District MVP in VBall and Softball (Baylor-signee)
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No. 10 Bayleigh Taylor, Liberty, Softball
Carried Liberty to State Championship (Florida State-commit)
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No. 11 Ogechi Okeke, Hightower, Basketball
Top 15 National Recruit; All State; Went to Regional Final
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No. 12 Gemma Hopkins, Tomball, Volleyball
District MVP led Tomball to State Finals (Arkansas-commit)
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No. 13 Cadence Johnson, Bellaire, Swim
VYPE Swimmer of Year and State Meet (UCLA-commit)
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No. 14 Carolyn Liu, Katy Jordan, Golf
Won Class 6A State Golf
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No. 15 Jayden Robinson, Ridge Point Volleyball
Under Armour All-American (Nebraska-signee)
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No. 16 Addison Martin, Summer Creek, Basketball
All-State, 2x State Champ, Offensive POY
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No. 17 Madalyn Davis, Lake Creek, Softball
2x Offensive POY, 3-Time State Champ (UNC-signee)
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No. 18 Wiggles Ngoh, Seven Lakes Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Flag Football
Explosive Junior Headed to USC Volleyball
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No. 19 Emily Betran, Katy Wrestling
Won state individually and was on best team in H-Town
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No. 20. Ahona Chowdhury, The Woodlands, Tennis
State Champ in Tennis Singles
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No. 21 Jenna Thedford, Dawson, Volleyball
Defensive POY; Led to State Finals (Texas A&M-signee)
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No. 22 Hope Smith, Bridgeland, XC and Track
Finished 6th on State XC Champ; Silver in Both Long Distance Events
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No. 23 Concepcion Maya, Kingwood Soccer
Led Kingwood to State; District MVP
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No. 24 Ma’Ryiah Alfred, Kinkaid, Basketball
Won SPC State, TABC All State
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No. 25 Naomi Booker, Tomball, Track and Field
Gold & Bronze in Hurdles; Defending Champ (Texas A&M Signee)
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No. 26 Nadi’ya Shelby, Friendswood, Volleyball
State Final Four (Florida-signee)
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No. 27 Avery Koonsen, Dawson, Volleyball
District MVP; Led to State Finals (SFA-signee)
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No. 28 Laney Barnes, Cy Woods, Cross Country
Silver at State (Texas A&M-signee)
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No. 29 Ari Holbert, Logos Prep, Swim
4 Gold Medals at TAPPS State Meet
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No. 30 A’Zyua Blair, Houston Christian, Basketball
Dominated SPC as a Junior Transfer; TABC All State
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No. 31 Tyler Weaver, Kingwood, Soccer
The State MVP (DBU-Signee)
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No. 32 Ashtyn Lewis, Iowa Colony, Track and Field
Gold in the 100m; Silver in 200 Meters
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No. 33 Claire Guydon, The Woodlands, Wrestling
Highlander dominated and won State
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No. 34 Courtland Cloud, Shadow Creek, Basketball
District MVP; Led Sharks to Final Four
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No. 35 Zora Bello, Cypress Ranch, Volleyball
District MVP (Rice-commit) led ‘Stangs to State Final Four
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No. 36 Winnie Liu, Dulles, Swim
Won 2 Silver Medals at Class 6A State (Rice-signee)
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No. 37 Ryan Fox, Episcopal, Soccer
Led Knights to Back-to-Back SPC Titles (ULL-signee)
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No. 38 Hunter Quentel, Kingwood, Softball
Best hitter, pitcher on one of city’s best teams
(Oklahoma State-commit)
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No. 39 McKale Lee, Alief Taylor, Track and Field
Gold in 800m
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No. 40 Delaney Wright, Montgomery, Volleyball
District MVP, City’s Leading Kill Artist (Utah-commit)
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No. 41 Faith Etienne, Dawson, Basketball
Was District MVP, 1000-points, Went to Regional Final
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No. 42 Jacey Carroll, St. John’s, Volleyball
Dominant in SPC play, won State Title
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No. 43 Rowan Saake, Bridgeland, Cross Country
Led Bears to State Gold, Finished 5th at State
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No. 44 Makenzie Thomas, Clear Springs, Softball
USA Softball Team, Beast at the Plate
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No. 45 Saniya Reynolds, Cypress Ranch, Volleyball
District Attacker of Year (Kentucky-commit)
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No. 46 Ashley Baxter, Friendswood, Soccer
Scored 46 goals as sophomore; US National Player
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No. 47 Reagan Rohrlich, TWCA, Softball and Track
One of State Top Private School Players (Texas A&M-signee)
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No. 48 Taylor Synnott, St. John’s, XC and Track
Sophomore has won Back-to-Back SPC Titles
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No. 49 Eguonome Akpobassa, Bridgeland, Track
Won Class 6A Gold, Silver in Jumps
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No. 50 Macey deGroot, Clear Springs, Swim
Gold at Class 6A State (Arizona-signee)
EVERYTHING ON THE LINE: 2026 UIL Softball State Championship Preview — Barbers Hill vs. Aledo, 5A D1
WHERE: Red & Charline McCombs Field -- Austin, TX
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CLICK HERE TO STAY UPDATED ON ALL OF THE UIL SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
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BARBERS HILL EAGLES
It hardly comes as a surprise that Barbers Hill once again finds itself vying for the UIL crown in ATX, given the overflowing talent that makes up head coach Aaron Fuller’s roster. Still, the Eagles have played with something of a chip on their shoulder this spring.
After falling to Melissa (4-2) in last year’s championship game, The Hill has been eager for an opportunity to validate the hype surrounding it with the program’s first title since 2021—when it defeated none other than Aledo, 4-1—and just the second in school history.
That resolve has been evident throughout the season, as the group enters the finale with a pristine 39-5 record. Pair that with last week’s one-sided dispatching of Leander—not to mention the entirety of its postseason run—and it becomes clear why Barbers Hill is ranked among the top teams in the nation by MaxPreps.
Beyond the undeniable talent of pitcher Macie Bryant—an LSU commit with disorienting ball control and a 30-1 mark in the circle this year—and a synchronized defensive effort, it’s the lineup that makes the Eagles so dangerous.
Leadoff hitter Savannah Barrientos (Jr. OF) is a virtual guarantee to reach base, while shortstop Izzy Lawrence (North Carolina commit), third baseman JosLynn Cooper, catcher Zoey Hood, and outfielders AshLynn Cooper (Blinn) and Helena Lawrence each bring a blend of consistency and power that has defined the BH junior class.
Sophomore Madison Ray has also proven to be an invaluable addition to the batting order, finding her best form in the postseason. Barbers Hill’s depth is especially timely given that one of its key hitters, Aybrie Corona, is nursing a knee injury—though her grit could still see her available for at-bats if needed
Barbers Hill advances to the 5A Division 1 State Championship with their sweep against Leander (5/21/2026)Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
ALEDO BEARCATS
Aledo (30-10) made a statement last week, knocking off two-time defending state champion Melissa, 5-4, in a single-game semifinal that felt almost poetic. Under coach Heather Myers, the Bearcats made their third consecutive appearance in the State Tournament and, in the process, flipped the script on the Cardinals—a team that had denied them a trip to McCombs Field a year ago. As a result, Aledo now has the opportunity to capture its fourth overall UIL title and first since the program’s back-to-back championships in 2015.
Like Barbers Hill, the Bearcats have thrived behind an unrelenting offensive output. George Mason-bound senior Kyleigh Pawlak serves as the catalyst, producing MVP-caliber numbers while leading the team in batting average (.423), hits (47), and RBIs (40), along with seven home runs. Senior shortstop Delaney Rosser (Stephen F. Austin signee) consistently sets the table, while junior pitcher Rylee Marx, senior catcher Breleigh Mayer (Brandeis University), and sophomores Tempe Perry and Brooklyn Taloa provide the punch needed to drive runners home.
Perry, who was named the District 5-5A Pitcher of the Year in her freshman campaign, remains the focal point of the defense, showing impressive composure while posting a 16-4 record on the year. Additionally, junior Rylee Marx (10-2) is just as capable in the circle when called upon, while also providing a similarly steady presence in the batter’s box.
