GAMES
RANKINGS
DESTINY AWAITS: VYPE's Final Rankings entering postseason
It's almost that time of year again.
With the final week of the regular season upon us, the H-Town volleyball scene is chomping at the bit for the upcoming playoffs.
Most of the Class 6A districts has already been sealed, with teams such as Tomball Memorial, Ridge Point, and Atascocita recently clinching their respective titles over the past week. Grand Oaks remains the top team in the city, and perhaps the state, as they appear to be seemingly invincible. However, Cinco Ranch, Stratford, Cy Ranch, and Deer Park are among the many teams that pose a threat to their dominance, should they meet in the postseason.
Barbers Hill, Friendswood, and Fulshear secured their spots in Class 5A and are poised for deep runs, while Lutheran South, FBCA, and Episcopal are the favorites on the private school scene.
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THE VYPE RANKINGS
Class 6A Top 20 (Numbers in parentheses indicate current record)
1. Grand Oaks Grizzlies (41-1; 15-0 in district)
2. Cinco Ranch Cougars (31-5; 15-0 in district)
3. Stratford Spartans (36-6; 13-0 in district)
4. Cypress Ranch Mustangs (32-5; 13-0 in district)
5. Deer Park Deer (31-9; 11-0 in district)
6. Pearland Oilers (32-10; 10-1 in district)
7. Tomball Memorial Wildcats (35-8; 13-0 in district)
8. Katy Tompkins Falcons (27-9; 13-2 in district)
9. Pearland Dawson Eagles (33-9; 10-1 in district)
10. The Woodlands Highlanders (31-14; 13-3 in district)
11. Clear Springs Chargers (30-12; 12-0 in district)
12. Ridge Point Panthers (30-13; 15-1 in district)
13. Langham Creek Lobos (32-10; 10-3 in district)
14. College Park Cavaliers (23-8; 12-3 in district)
15. Atascocita Eagles (26-10; 13-0 in district)
16. Bridgeland Bears (26-12; 10-3 in district)
17. Seven Lakes Spartans (25-14; 12-3 in district)
18. Fort Bend Austin Bulldogs (26-15; 12-3 in district)
19. Tomball Cougars (25-11; 11-2 in district)
20. Dobie Longhorns (31-7; 8-2 in district)
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Class 5A Top 10
1. Barbers Hill Eagles (36-7; 13-0 in district)
2. Friendswood Mustangs (24-9; 11-0 in district)
3. Fulshear Chargers (33-4; 13-0 in district)
4. Foster Falcons (30-8; 12-1 in district)
5. Baytown Sterling Rangers (18-16; 8-5 in district)
6. Magnolia West Mustangs (17-17; 7-6 in district)
7. Goose Creek Memorial Patriots (24-14; 8-5 in district)
8. Montgomery Bears (26-17; 6-7 in district)
9. Magnolia Bulldogs (19-18; 6-7 in district)
10. Manvel Mavericks (21-18; 9-2 in district)
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Private School Top 10
1. Lutheran South Academy Pioneers (36-7; 13-1 in district)
2. Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles (30-4; 13-1 in district)
3. Episcopal Knights (29-10; 7-0 in district)
4. Concordia Lutheran Crusaders (29-12; 4-2 in district)
5. Rosehill Christian Eagles (24-8; 13-0 in district)
6. St. John's Mavericks (21-9; 8-1 in district)
7. Legacy Prep Lions (26-4-4; 7-2 in district)
8. St. John XXIII Lions (17-18; 8-5 in district)
9. Houston Christian Mustangs (11-16; 4-3 in district)
10. The John Cooper School Dragons (17-10 3-4 in district)
REACHING THE PEAK: Pearland primed for more with playoffs looming
It seems that Pearland has struck oil yet again.
The Lady Oilers have been on a tear throughout the entire Fall, however the second half of district-play is where the group turned it up a notch.
Under the direction of coach Jamie Gill, Pearland is preparing for the imminent postseason.
“Having a lot of returners coming back that know the expectations has been tremendous for us,” said GIll. “These girls have trusted the process of where we start on day one, and how we work throughout the season.”
“We’re peaking at the right time. We’ve experienced a lot of injuries this year, so the fact that we’re healthy at this time in the season is very helpful.”
In the three seasons she has been with the program, Gill has brought plenty to the table, which continues to elevate her team on a yearly basis.
“I put a lot of emphasis on the little things, like discipline and doing the right thing off the court,” she said. “We work out consistently and we focus on mental health. There’s plenty of communication between the kids and the coaching staff.”
“The girls have to be comfortable being uncomfortable is a good way to put it. They’re put in situations where they deal with adversity and they learn to work through it. We have a lot of talent at Pearland, but it has to transfer over to the mental game and being able to push back when there’s pressure.”
That mentality has certainly paid off, now that Pearland (32-10; 10-1 in district) is looking at a co-district championship alongside Dawson, due to their season split.
Everything is clicking on all cylinders on the court, with Avery Koonsen (So. OH), Kimanni Rugley (Jr. MH), Mia Ramirez (Sr. L), and Nadia Dunn (Sr. OH) being among the premier playmakers for the talented squad.
So, what’s it going to take to keep this momentum rolling into the playoffs?
“We’re going to have to keep doing what we’re doing,” Gill said. “Continuing to be healthy will be essential, and they’ll have to keep trusting in each other and in themselves. That’s something they’ve gotten really good at – being pumped up for each other. If that continues, then the possibilities are endless for this group.”
With only one game remaining in the regular season, something tells us that Pearland is destined for a deep playoff run. They’ve made themselves well-known in H-Town and will be a prime contender come November.