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Fort Bend Austin's Luke Chapman
SHIFTING GEARS: FB Austin Football Eyes a Resurgence with Chapman Behind Center
Luke Chapman with first-year Austin head coach Christopher WilsonFarrah Sheeren (VYPE)
Chapman already witnessed that change materialize well before the first kickoff.
“It started in the summer, with all the boys showing up to SAC (Strength, Agility, and Conditioning) camp, getting in the weight room and hitting the speed training hard,” Chapman said. “The coaching staff has been great, and they’ve changed the way we push ourselves. We’re going to be a whole new team this year, and I think we’ll surprise a lot of people.”
Eventually, all that preparation has to surface when it matters most.
“The work shows up in the fourth quarter,” he said. “At the end of the game, you start to feel that exhaustion, but you’re still in a situation where you have to break a tackle or make someone miss. That’s when the training pays off — when you can make that extra push in the big moments.”
The featured standouts of the 2026–27 Austin Bulldogs football team.Farrah Sheeren (VYPE)
Chapman’s move behind center hasn’t required him to abandon the athletic traits that made him effective elsewhere. If anything, the shift has given him more ways to draw on them, blending the instincts of a multi-sport athlete with the understanding he developed from seeing the game through a receiver’s eyes.
“Playing other sports has really helped my mobility,” Chapman said. “Athleticism translates pretty well. I’m also on the baseball team and used to play basketball, so that experience helps me shift and make all those movements feel more routine. Plus, I was a receiver before, which gives me a different sense of how the offense works.”
The same competitive edge Chapman brings to the field carries into the quieter parts of his life, though not always in the ways you might expect.
“I don’t think people would be surprised if they got to know me, but I do like to fish and golf a lot, especially on the weekends,” Chapman said with a smile. “I really love bass fishing and playing 18. I could probably compete in golf, too, if I had the time. It helps me with the mental side of things, getting past those mental blocks and frustrations and just having fun.”
That balance may ultimately be as important as anything Chapman does with the ball. Months of preparation have brought Chapman to a responsibility that demands more of him, both physically and strategically. Now, with Austin looking to turn the page, he gets his opportunity to help write what comes next.
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Kempner's Olivia Algard
FROM SWEDEN TO SUGAR LAND: Algard Finds Her Place Through Volleyball
"I speak Swedish at the house," Algard said. "I always talk about it with my friends. It's a very beautiful place. I have so much family there."
Algard still returns to Sweden for vacations, making sure the connection to her birthplace remains strong even as Texas has become home.
Her journey to Texas came with a major adjustment. When Algard first arrived in the United States, she didn't know a single word of English.
"I was in kindergarten crying all day because I couldn't understand anything," she said.
But it didn't take long for the young Algard to find her voice. She picked up the language quickly, and before long, she was finding another way to communicate—through volleyball.
Matt Powell (VYPE)
That passion began in third grade when she joined a church league. From there, the game continued to grow into something much bigger. She eventually joined a club program, and volleyball became a central part of her life.
Today, Algard can't imagine her life without it.
"The connections you make with people and the memories you make," she said. "That's what I love about it."
And she's not limiting herself to just one version of the sport. Outside of indoor volleyball, Algard plays beach volleyball, an experience she believes has helped expand her game and make her a more complete player. She's hoping to continue playing beach volleyball at the collegiate level.
"It's a whole different game than indoor," Algard said. "It opens my range of volleyball. In the sand, you have to play every position, which makes you a very versatile player on the court."
That versatility is important for an outside hitter, but Algard's biggest growth may come from learning how to manage the expectations she places on herself.
"I try my best, but I'm very hard on myself," she said. “It’s something that I need to get better at. It’s impossible to be perfect, but that is just how I’m programmed.”
Being the oldest of three children has also helped shape her approach. Algard understands that her younger siblings are watching her, and she takes that responsibility seriously.
"I'm the oldest of three," she said. "I show them the way. I try to be a good example for them to follow whether it be in sports or just in everyday life."
That leadership doesn't necessarily have to come from being the loudest person in the room. Sometimes it comes from setting an example, working hard and showing up every day.
And when Algard needs inspiration, she doesn't have to look far. Her grandmother holds that special place in her life.
"My grandma is my biggest inspiration," Algard said. "I love her a lot. I’m her favorite and we just have a really special bond. She lives in Sweden so I don’t see her much, but our connection is strong."
Away from the court, Algard is a fan of romance movies and shows, with rom-coms among her favorites. She also listens to Lana Del Rey, giving her plenty of ways to unwind when volleyball takes a back seat.
But ultimately, volleyball remains her passion.
From a little girl in Sweden who arrived in America unable to speak English to a confident outside hitter dreaming of playing beach volleyball in college, Algard's story is one of finding her place.
She found it on the court. And she plans to keep going.