GAMES
RANKINGS
CHECKING BOXES: Multiple H-Town VB squads secure District Titles
What a week for H-Town Volleyball!
Pearland turned the tables in Class 6A, after toppling their district rival Dawson, which has propelled the Oilers to a potential district title. Similarly, The Woodlands defeated College Park in four sets, after falling to the Cavaliers earlier in the season, which secures the Highlanders in their district's No. 2 spot, behind a relentless Grand Oaks squad that's only tallied one loss on the season.
Not much has changed in Class 5A, with each of our top-5 winning both of their respective matchups last week. However, Montgomery and Manvel are surging at the perfect time, with only a couple of weeks remaining in the regular season.
The biggest headline in the private school scene is undoubtedly Lutheran South's 3-2 nail-biter victory over fellow TAPPS-5A title-contender FBCA. Given that these two clubs have a season-split against each other, it will be interesting to see how a potential tie-breaker will play out in the postseason. Additionally, Legacy Prep looks primed for a deep run in the playoffs.
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THE VYPE RANKINGS
Class 6A Top 20 (Numbers in parentheses indicate current record)
1. Grand Oaks Grizzlies (40-1; 14-0 in district)
2. Cinco Ranch Cougars (30-5; 14-0 in district)
3. Stratford Spartans (34-6; 11-0 in district)
4. Cypress Ranch Mustangs (30-5; 11-0 in district)
5. Deer Park Deer (29-9; 9-0 in district)
6. Pearland Oilers (31-10; 9-1 in district)
7. Tomball Memorial Wildcats (33-8; 11-0 in district)
8. Katy Tompkins Falcons (25-9; 11-2 in district)
9. Pearland Dawson Eagles (31-9; 8-1 in district)
10. The Woodlands Highlanders (29-14; 11-3 in district)
11. Langham Creek Lobos (31-9; 9-2 in district)
12. Clear Springs Chargers (29-12; 10-0 in district)
13. Ridge Point Panthers (28-13; 13-1 in district)
14. College Park Cavaliers (21-8; 10-3 in district)
15. Fort Bend Austin Bulldogs (25-14; 11-2 in district)
16. Atascocita Eagles (24-10; 11-0 in district)
17. Bridgeland Bears (24-12; 8-3 in district)
18. Seven Lakes Spartans (23-14; 10-3 in district)
19. Tomball Cougars (23-11; 9-2 in district)
20. Dobie Longhorns (29-7; 8-2 in district)
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Class 5A Top 10
1. Barbers Hill Eagles (34-7; 11-0 in district)
2. Friendswood Mustangs (22-9; 9-0 in district)
3. Fulshear Chargers (31-4; 11-0 in district)
4. Foster Falcons (28-8; 10-1 in district)
5. Baytown Sterling Rangers (18-14; 8-3 in district)
6. Montgomery Bears (25-16; 5-6 in district)
7. Manvel Mavericks (20-17; 8-1 in district)
8. Magnolia West Mustangs (16-16; 6-5 in district)
9. Goose Creek Memorial Patriots (22-14; 6-5 in district)
10. Magnolia Bulldogs (18-17; 5-6 in district)
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Private School Top 10
1. Lutheran South Academy Pioneers (34-7; 11-1 in district)
2. Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles (28-4; 11-1 in district)
3. Concordia Lutheran Crusaders (29-11; 4-1 in district)
4. Episcopal Knights (28-10; 6-0 in district)
5. Legacy Prep Lions (25-3-4; 6-1 in district)
6. Rosehill Christian Eagles (21-8; 10-0 in district)
7. St. John's Mavericks (19-9; 6-1 in district)
8. Houston Christian Mustangs (11-14; 4-2 in district)
9. Kinkaid School Falcons (9-11; 3-3 in district)
10. The John Cooper School Dragons (17-9 3-3 in district)
OVERLOOKED NO LONGER: Adcock, Stratford thriving in the spotlight
The Spartans have been on a tear throughout this Fall.
After graduating eight seniors off last year’s team, including the District-MVP Skylar George, who’s currently at Utah, what has been the motivation for coach Jennifer Adcock’s group, as Stratford (28-6) has ascended the rankings of H-Town volleyball?
“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.”
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.