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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)
The stars of 2025-26 St. Agnes Academy Softball
THE BREAKDOWN: VYPE's Private School Softball Prospectus; Episcopal, St. Agnes lead the Top-5
3. The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors
4. Lutheran South Academy Pioneers
5. Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles
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Others to Watch:
(Alphabetical Order)
Concordia Lutheran Crusaders, Cypress Christian Warriors, Houston Christian Mustangs, St. John’s School Mavericks, St. John XXIII Lions, St. Pius X Panthers
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CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PHOTOS FROM THE 2026 CITYWIDE MEDIA DAY
1. Episcopal Knights (SPC 4A)
Dana Strange (VYPE/Phlox Photography)
The Knights remain in a class of their own within Texas private school softball.
That distinction was reinforced yet again in 2025, when Episcopal (22-3) edged St. John’s 3-2 last May. The victory not only secured the program’s eighth consecutive SPC title, but also marked the 10th championship for head coach Caitlyn Cain and company since 2014—and the 23rd overall.
Maintaining that level of consistency is never a given, yet it has come to feel almost routine for the group Episcopal brings back to the diamond.
Left-hander Jordan Bey enters her senior season looking to mirror last year’s All-SPC form before heading to Sacramento State. Fellow All-SPC selections Claire Johnson (Sr., C) and Hayleigh Hubbard (Jr., SS) anchor the middle of the defense alongside senior first baseman Addison Conner.
At the plate, Memphis commit Alexis Johnson (Jr., OF) looms as the lineup’s most dangerous presence, bringing an explosive element to Caitlyn Cain’s offense, with senior Elliot Loper adding further stability in the outfield.
2. St. Agnes Academy Tigers (TAPPS DI)
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
A familiar face now guides perennial power St. Agnes, as four-year assistant Tyler Dobson was elevated to head coach last June. Well acquainted with the Tigers’ standard, Dobson takes over a group that finished 17-6-1 a season ago and advanced to the TAPPS Division I State Semifinals.
Though Antonian halted St. Agnes’ bid for back-to-back titles, a wealth of battle-tested returners remains in place—signaling that all systems are go, as Dobson begins her debut directing the program.
Harvard-bound senior Kyra Nguyen remains the team’s most dynamic chess piece, thriving in her utility position after earning first-team all-state honors a year ago. In the circle, junior left-hander Penelope England returns with an eye toward building even stronger chemistry with senior catcher Nisha Suneja, as both were first-team all-district selections in 2025.
Rounding out the group, second-team honorees Anna Morton (Jr. OF) and Kirsten Moon (So. RHP) are poised to embrace expanded roles as the season unfolds.
3. The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors (TAPPS DII)
Dana Strange (VYPE/Phlox Photography)
Fresh off one of the program’s most productive seasons to date, TWCA surged to a 21-7-1 record, a run that culminated with a Final Four appearance in the TAPPS Division II playoffs.
Replacing the production of stars such as pitcher Keira Crosby (Clemson) and infielder Alexis Osterhaus (Army) will be no small undertaking. Even so, third-year head coach Joshua Culp retains a lineup rich with proven talent, positioning the Warriors to avoid missing a beat this spring.
Reagan Rohrlich (Sr. SS/OF) returns to help propel the Warriors’ latest push toward a potential State run after earning first-team all-state honors a season ago. The Texas A&M signee is joined in the infield by senior Kate Rouswell, a second-team all-state selection who provides additional stability up the middle.
Taking over as the ace in the circle is junior RHP Marissa Clarke, a first-team all-district honoree last spring. Fellow district first-team selections Ashlyn Culp (Jr. C) and Alison Chandler (So. OF) further underscore the depth of an exceptionally balanced TWCA ballclub—one that appears well-positioned to make another return to the State Semifinals, if not more.
4. Lutheran South Academy Pioneers (TAPPS DII)
Dana Strange (VYPE/Phlox Photography)
The Pioneers turned in a strong 2025 campaign, hitting their stride down the stretch before rolling past Saint Mary’s Hall to reach the Regional Round of the TAPPS Division II playoffs. Their postseason surge was eventually halted by TWCA, but the late-season momentum illustrated Lutheran South’s upward trajectory.
Picking up where she left off last spring, senior Addison Smith (Wichita State signee) is set to anchor both the middle infield and the heart of the batting order for head coach Nicole Andrade, aiming to mirror the production that earned her first-team all-state recognition.
Sophomore Kendall Putnal returns to the circle after a standout debut season that earned her second-team all-state honors, joined by junior catcher Gia Bales. Surrounding them is an imposing lineup anchored by a wave of first-team all-district selections, including Jadyn Maldonado (Jr. IF/C), Ava Zamora (Jr. OF), Jill Whitehead (Jr. IF/OF), Emily Bankson (Jr. IF/OF), and Alexis English (So. OF).
5. Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles (TAPPS DII)
Dana Strange (VYPE/Phlox Photography)
FBCA experienced a slight detour from its usual standard a year ago, suffering a tough loss to Cypress Christian in a high-scoring postseason opener. That said, the Eagles have had ample time to regroup and coalesce under head coach Kelli Jacoby, fueling a renewed sense of optimism as the new season gets underway.
Second-team all-state pitcher Reese Heflin stands at the center of the resurgence, hoping to cap off her high school career in reputable fashion before ascending to East Texas Baptist University. Waiting in the wings behind Heflin is sophomore Evelyn Moore, a first-team all-district selection who led the team with a .431 batting average and 25 hits in her debut.
When she’s not on the mound, Moore will primarily patrol the infield. Fellow district first-teamer Ariel Yee (Jr. C) adds power to the lineup, posting a team-high 24 RBIs and five home runs, while junior shortstop Ella Romo, another first-team pick, hit for over .400. Complementing the group, second-team all-district honorees Bailey Baird (Sr. 3B) and Allie Guillot (Jr. OF) reinforce the continuity and depth that Fort Bend Christian will rely on as it looks to make a State-level breakthrough.
Others To Watch - Concordia Lutheran
Dana Strange (VYPE/Phlox Photography)