GAMES
RANKINGS
Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier.
2019 VYPE Austin Private School Volleyball Sleepers
You've already seen the VYPE Austin preseason private school volleyball rankings, so it's time to learn about the sleepers. Check out the team breakdowns below, and look for more preseason coverage in the coming days!
No. 6 Austin St. Dominic Savio Catholic Eagles (Reached 2018 TAPPS 6A area round)
Austin St. Dominic Savio Catholic advanced to the TAPPS 6A area round last season, and still has an experienced group of players to go a couple rounds deep in 2019. That's because the Eagles have returning first-team all-district Sophia Miksch, who's back for her junior year. Joining her is second-team senior Emily Larmeu and honorable mention junior Georgia Brown.
No. 7 Fredericksburg Heritage School Eagles (Reached 2018 TAPPS 1A area round)
Fredericksburg Heritage School kept most of its talent from last year's run to the TAPPS 1A area round, so it'll be a force again in 2019. Celia Ashley will lead the Eagles' charge because she is back for her senior year and earned a first-team all-district honor in 2018. Depth will come from second-teamers Hannah Bray, Faith Lindner and Cora Elliot, as well as honorable mentions Alivia Jons and Olivia Loggie. Bray is another 2020 prospect, Lindner, Jons and Loggie are Class of 2021 members, and Elliot is back for her sophomore campaign.
No. 8 Austin St. Andrew's Episcopal School Highlanders (Reached 2018 SPC Quarterfinal and Won Fifth-Place Game)
Austin St. Andrew's Episcopal School advanced to last year's SPC quarterfinal and won the tournament's fifth-place game, and has the ability to top that in 2019. It starts with the Highlanders' six returning starters. Outside hitter Kyla Thompson and setter/opposite hitter Lauren Lietzke will lead the charge because they earned first-team all-SPC honors last season, but don't forget about the efforts of opposite hitter/setter Mia Arriaga. Coach Zack Kweder also plans to put his team in a winning position by increasing passing and serving efficiency.
No. 9 Austin Veritas Academy Defenders (Reached 2018 TAPPS 4A area round)
Austin Veritas Academy reached last year's TAPPS 4A area round, and still has an upside in 2019. The Defenders will lean on an experienced and talented big three. Raelyn Thompson is an important player because she is back for her senior season and received a second-team all-district honor in 2018. The other two are district honorable mentions Ellen Miller and Lisa Kenyon, who return as a senior and junior respectively.
No. 10 San Marcos Hill Country Christian School Rams (Reached 2018 TAPPS 1A regional final)
San Marcos Hill Country Christian School advanced to last year's TAPPS 1A regional final, but has to find replacements for the strong senior class that has since graduated. The services ofall-staters Abigail Williamson and Demaris Darnell and first-team all-district honorees Shelby Glosson and Grace Stewart will be missed, but the team is fortunate to still havefirst-team all-district senior Mia Luna and second-team juniorCamille Davis. Their experience from the playoff run will keep the team on track in 2019.
For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEATX) on Twitter.
Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.
Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier.
2019 VYPE San Antonio Private School Volleyball Sleepers
You've already seen the VYPE San Antonio preseason private school volleyball rankings, so it's time to learn about the sleepers. Check out the team breakdowns below, and learn about the dark horses in the coming days!
No. 6 Bracken Christian School Warriors (Reached 2018 TAPPS 2A Regional Final)
Bracken Christian School is coming off a TAPPS 2A regional final appearance, and has the necessary talent to chase the classification's state title. Second-team all-state players Hannah Sanchez and Paige Miller, and first-team all-district nominee Alyssa Day will put the Warriors in a position to achieve such a task, while district honorable mentions Molly Melton and Claire Shannon provide important depth. Sanchez, Miller, Day and Shannon will also have big roles as upperclassmen, while Melton leads the underclassmen.
No. 7 San Antonio Incarnate Word Shamrocks (Reached 2018 TAPPS 6A Regional Final)
San Antonio Incarnate Word advanced to the TAPPS 6A Regional Final in 2018, but has some rebuilding to do in 2019. That's because the Shamrocks lost all-state talents Tatiana Smith and Mika Garza to graduation. Luckily for them, first-team all-district Elora Rodriguez is a good center piece of another playoff run. She'll be joined on the court by second-teamers Emily Esquivel and Yesenia Perez. All three players are seniors, so that will also help the team stay on course.
No. 8 Geneva School of Boerne Eagles (Reached 2018 TAPPS 4A Area Round)
Geneva School of Boerne graduated all-state talent Amy Ambelang after its 2018 run to the TAPPS 4A area round, but is expected to stay competitive for the foreseeable future. That's because the Eagles have a strong core of players. It starts with first-team all-district talents Katherine Lacy and Chloe Higgs, who are back for their junior and sophomore years respectively. Katie Styles is another key member of the Class of 2021, as evident by the fact that she's coming a second-team all-district campaign like 2022 prospects Lily Langenbahn and Avery Myrick.
No. 9 Fredericksburg Heritage School Eagles (Reached 2018 TAPPS 1A Area Round)
Fredericksburg Heritage School lost its only all-state player from the 2018 season, but its returning talent plans to pick up where last year ended. Senior Celia Ashley is expected to lead the pack, after her 2018 first-team all-district honor, but there's also plenty of depth around her. Senior Hannah Bray was a second-team selection like junior Faith Lindner and sophomore Cora Elliott, and juniors Alivia Jons and Olivia Loggie were honorable mentions.
No. 10 Shiner St. Paul Cardinals (Reached 2018 TAPPS 2A State Semifinal)
Shiner St. Paul made one of the area's deepest runs in 2018, but was hit hard by 2019 graduation. It will miss the services of all-state talents Delynn Pesek, Gracey Novosad, Christine Wagner, and Grace Irvin, but plans to stay competitive with notable returns. Senior Mallory Pokluda is one of the three second-team all-district honorees still on the roster, so she steps into the leading role. The others are junior Paige Brown and sophomore Cameron Pesek.
For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPESATX) on Twitter.
Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.