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Grand Oaks' Cali Reece
FOR KEEPS: VYPE's Public School Volleyball playoff predictions; photo gallery
With the new divisions of the UIL volleyball playoffs, things get interesting right off the bat.
How about these for first-round matchups in Class 6A DI?
Fulshear will face Seven Lakes and Ridge Point takes on Dawson in the first round of Region III.
In Region II, the most compelling is Tomball Memorial facing Bridgeland.
Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay.
So, who can win this thing?
Here are VYPE’s Predictions.
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THE GALLERY
Bridgeland Bears
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Class 6A DI Region II
At first glance, it’s Grand Oaks’ to lose.
A second-round match against Bridgeland could be interesting, which would precede a match between either The Woodlands or Rockwall in the third round. Keller and the Plano schools would be their test to get to the State Semis, but the Grizzlies are the defending champs. With Samara Coleman, Halle Thompson, Cali Reece, Peyton Wiley and Samantha Sampson in the rotation, things are looking up Grand Oaks.
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Class 6A DI Region III
Cinco Ranch reached the State Finals a year ago and the Cougars will meet Ridge Point in the third round. That is going to be an interesting matchup. Another team that has quietly put together a tremendous season is Pearland. They will advance and play Fulshear in the third round as well. That will be a battle between middle Kimanni Rugley of Pearland and elite hitter Bailey Warren of Fulshear. Region III is going to be a war.
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Class 6A DII Region II
Hmm. Could this be the year of the College Park Cavs? College Park plays in a tough district with Grand Oaks and The Woodlands. They could be in a collision course with Wylie East in the third round if they can get by Magnolia West. With national recruit Morgan Madison anchoring the defense and Lacy Tinnell and Reese Ellen scoring the ball, it comes down to the setting of Caroline Prihoda and Nancy Dong. Names to watch are middle Sarah Arroyo-Fontecha and Sadie Kendrick. If they get going, look out. Tomball and Cy Woods could be sleepers in this Region.
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Class 6A DII Region III
Stratford enters the tournament as Houston’s No. 1 seed, but DO NOT sleep on that Katy Tompkins' second-round matchup. Whoever wins that contest, wins the Region. Spartan star Sarah Hickman is a tremendous talent but Gwen Koss, Avery Kent, Milena Miladinovic, Audrey Cook and Rachel Ashby are spectacular in their own right. Tompkins can play and have been to State as well. Freshman Elsa St. Rose is legit and is supported by Callie Funk, Christin Coward, Brooklynn Merrell and Caelyn Dumas.
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Class 5A DII Region III
Among the numerous 5A powers in the Houston-area, Friendswood (35-8) has reigned supreme. Powered by the remarkable talents of Florida-commit Nadi'ya Shelby (479 kills) junior setter Caroline Adams (893 assists), Jordyn Sims (The Citadel-commit), junior libero Haley Patton (472 digs), and Preslee Alaniz (Southwestern Oklahoma), the Mustangs have stampeded their way back to the postseason.
They might have an enticing matchup on their hands, against the victor of today's West Fork-Montgomery game, but we ultimately see the Mustangs reaching the Region III Final, where we expect them to face fellow state contender Lake Creek.
The Lions (33-13) are incredibly well-balanced on their side of the net. Offensively, senior OH Peyton McKee (Missouri State-commit) leads the scoring front with 525 kills on the year. She has plenty of help in that regard, with Ryan Mokry (391 kills) and Taylor Woods (223) bolstering the attack. Don't forget about up-and-comer Kansas Lamar (Jr. MB) either. On the defensive side, Houston Christian-commit Kennedy Schramm (700 digs) and sophomore setter Brooke Kelley (966 assists) round out one of the most elite teams in Texas.
Naturally, these two squads will take it one game at a time, but we'd love to see them face off in the coming weeks.
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Some of the stars of 2023-24 Stratford Volleyball
OVERLOOKED NO LONGER: Adcock, Stratford thriving in the spotlight
“To be honest I have to give you guys (VYPE) some of the credit, because when we saw that we were placed in the “Other teams to watch” category for the preseason magazine, it really ticked the girls off,” she laughed. “They’ve really felt kind of overlooked this season. They have felt like they really have something to prove.”
“I think that not being seen as a top group before the season has been something that’s fueled their fire to prove people wrong. We don’t focus as much on winning, but we talk a lot about the culture, and being good teammates, and then we train. You combine those aspects, and you have girls who really want to play for each other. It’s a good recipe for us.”
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Stratford has a whole slew of individuals who’ve stepped up in the big moments.
In her eighth-season as head coach, Adcock has turned to her captains, Izzy Rodriguez (Sr. DS), Sophie Corbeil (Sr. OH), and Ashley Jones (Sr. OPP) to anchor the leadership roles among the talented roster, which features the likes of fellow playmakers, Gwen Koss (So. OH), Chloe Popkin (Sr. OH/DS), Audrey Cook (So. S), and Sarah Hickman (So. OPP).
While there is no “alpha” on the court per se, that has actually proven to be beneficial for the Spartans.
“This might sound like lip service, but we value the bench incredibly in our program,” said Adcock. “We have a lot of talent that comes from that side, with several of our players splitting time. I think the leadership, for us, comes from a lot of individuals who step up in particular instances.”
“It helps when several players can be depended on and carry the weight of that responsibility, rather than one individual. We’re fortunate to always have someone who will have your back when times are tough.”
Izzy Rodriguez (Sr. Libero/DS)
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Now that the Spartans are no longer being overlooked, and have a proverbial target on their backs, how has the mentality changed for Adcock’s team?
“It really hasn’t changed much,” she said. “We have approached every single match with the mindset of ‘let’s play hard, let’s play for each other.’ Today is today, and we’re gonna tackle who’s in front of us, regardless of who’s across the net.”
“Having a target on our backs is a big responsibility, because people have this opinion of you now. But I think the girls, buy in large, enter each game with a respect for their opponent, and they aren’t focused too far ahead. We’re trying to appreciate the moment.”
Stratford is now the hunted, but that is unlikely to slow them down as they head into the remainder of their district schedule. All signs point towards a trip to the postseason and beyond, so stay tuned.