Playoff predictions and players to watch: Previewing 5A volleyball in Fort Worth-area

The Texas high school volleyball regular season started Monday and all this week we look at the Fort Worth-area’s best in 2021. Today, we dive into our Class 5A preview with playoff predictions and top players to watch.

Check back for our preview in Class 4A and below.

Volleyball Preseason All-Area Team

Fort Worth-area preseason rankings

Class 6A preview

Preseason Rankings

1. Grapevine

2. Colleyville Heritage

3. Aledo

4. Midlothian

5. Justin Northwest

6. Birdville

7. Burleson

8. Mansfield Legacy

9. Granbury

10. Burleson Centennial

Playoff Predictions

District 5-5A

1. Aledo

2. Wichita Falls Rider

3. Granbury

4. Azle

5. Brewer

6. Wichita Falls

District 6-5A

1. Denton

2. Colleyville Heritage

3. Grapevine

4. Justin Northwest

5. Birdville

6. Lake Dallas

7. Richland

8. Denton Ryan

District 7-5A

1. Saginaw

2. FW Arlington Heights

3. FW Trimble Tech

4. FW North Side

5. FW Southwest

6. FW South Hills

7. FW Polytechnic

8. FW Wyatt

District 8-5A

1. Burleson

2. Mansfield Legacy

3. Burleson Centennial

4. Mansfield Timberview

5. Crowley

6. Everman

7. Mansfield Summit

8. Arlington Seguin

District 14-5A

1. Midlothian

2. Joshua

3. Red Oak

4. Cleburne

5. Coriscana

6. Ennis

7. Waco University

Favorite

Grapevine had the best season last year among Fort Worth-area teams and will be up there again, but my favorite this year is a tie between Aledo and Colleyville Heritage. Both the Ladycats and Panthers bring back so much talent, highlighted by two of the best setters in all of 5A, Aledo’s Mattie Gantt and Colleyville Heritage’s Morgan Howard. A lot of offense on both sides so expect the two squads to contend for a district title. Oddly enough, these two met in the first round last year with the Panthers edging out a 3-2 victory.

Surprise

Justin Northwest has all the tools it needs to be successful. Now it’s about putting it all together. Led by one of the program’s all-time best players Makenna Miller, the Texans bring back 6 or 7 players with starting experience. They play in the toughest 5A district in the Fort Worth coverage area so every game matters. If they can clinch a playoff spot, the next step is bi-district, where the Texans have only one playoff win in the past 15 years.

Top 50 players to watch

Ellie Alexander, Sr., MB, Granbury

Caroline Bacon, Jr., Setter, Saginaw

Kenna Buchanan, Jr., OH, Midlothian

Ella Busey, Jr., OH, Collleyville Heritage

Greyson Button, Jr., MB, Grapevine

Sophie Chambers, Jr., Setter/DS, Northwest

Hannah Clear, Sr., MB, Northwest

Peyton Cole, Jr., DS, Joshua

Alyssa Davault, Sr., OH/MB, Burleson

Belle Davis, Sr., OH, Burleson

Janet deMarrais, Sr., OH, Grapevine

McKenna Dillow, Jr., OH, Azle

Jaiden Dixon, Sr., MB, Saginaw

Brynn Dowd, Jr., OH, Legacy

Maya Duckworth, Sr., OH, Birdville

Emma Dustin, Sr., DS, Burleson

Skylar Ellison, Sr., MB, Aledo

Maddie Frank, Jr., MB, Aledo

Mattie Gantt, Sr., Setter, Aledo

Uryah Guevara, Sr., MB, Midlothian

Madelyn Hanlon, Soph., OH/DS, Colleyville Heritage

Emma Hart, Sr., OH, Granbury

Payton Hilmer, Jr., OH, Aledo

Camryn Hinkle, Sr., OH/Setter, Azle

Lindsey Houran, Sr., DS, Colleyville Heritage

Morgan Howard, Jr., Setter, Colleyville Heritage

Annie Johnson, Sr., OH, Burleson Centennial

Caroline Kahle, Jr., OH, Birdville

Aubri Kisner, Sr., OH, Northwest

Bailey Laster, Sr., Setter, Burleson Centennial

Alea Lastinger, Sr., OH, Grapevine

Lauren Mann, Jr., OH, Richland

Jenna McMichael, Jr., DS, Midlothian

Makenna Miller, Sr., OH, Northwest

Arianna Mongare, Sr., OH/MB, Legacy

Addison Moore, Sr., OH, Cleburne

Ashley Munoz, Sr., Setter, Birdville

Heaven Nunley, Sr., OH, Richland

Vivian Parker, Soph., OH, Aledo

Reese Robins, Jr., OH/MB, Timberview

Alyssa Rojo, Sr., DS, Northwest

Rylie Rumfield, Sr., OH, Joshua

Madison Scrivner, Soph., Setter, Northwest

Lydia Seymour, Jr., MB, Northwest

Ava Shankle, Soph., MB, Grapevine

Sam Smith, Sr., OH, Aledo

Lyric Steward, Soph., OH/MB, Birdville

Dariana Stockman, Sr., OH, Everman

Kylee Turner, Jr., DS, Saginaw

Sara Welch, Jr., Setter, Granbury

This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 12:08 PM.

Brian Gosset

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

808-218-5424

Brian Gosset covered high school sports for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram until 2023. He graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in journalism before coming to Texas in 2014.