Fort Worth-area high school volleyball preview: Top stories, new coaches and more
The Texas high school volleyball season starts this week as teams gear up for tournament titles in August and a deep playoff run to Garland in November.
Lucas Lovejoy and Decatur have represented the metroplex with UIL state championships in back-to-back seasons. Lovejoy has won Class 5A three straight years. Byron Nelson won 6A in 2019.
Keller and Grapevine also reached the state final last season.
But who will stand out from the Fort Worth-area this season? Can Keller and Grapevine return to Garland and get over the hump? Or will there be a new team that comes along and surprises us?
Bold prediction
Colleyville Heritage will reach the Class 5A state tournament this season
The Panthers are coming off a 40-win season and a trip to the regional semifinals. They return a loaded lineup that includes four players in the Top 25 (Morgan Howard, Ella Busey, Suli Davis, Reagan Engler).
Howard, the No. 1 overall player in the area, Busey (No. 6) and Engler (No. 10) are a triple-threat and enter their senior seasons. They are all committed to play at the next level.
Davis is a game-changer. She transfers from Nolan Catholic, where as a freshman, she recorded over 500 kills and was named all-area newcomer of the year. She adds another offensive weapon behind Busey and Engler, standing at 6-feet tall. Heritage also returns defenders Avery Dits and Ava Ash along with hitters Maddie Bird (253 kills) and Madelyn Hanlon (261 kills).
The path to state won’t be easy. Heritage will have to get through a district that includes Argyle, Grapevine and Birdville. The first round could see the likes of Burleson, Joshua or Midlothian Heritage. Aledo and Justin Northwest will wait in the wings and let’s not forget west Texas with Wichita Falls Rider and Amarillo.
Colleyville Heritage to reach the regional final, where the Panthers will meet Midlothian High, which moved over to Region 1 ... that is if the two schools haven’t already met in Round 3.
Number
16: There are at least 16 Fort Worth-area programs with new head coaches this fall, including Class 6A state runner-up Keller. Danielle Barker, who won three state titles as a player at Amarillo, moves over from Flower Mound Marcus and replaces Lauren Rao, who went to TCU in the spring.
Which school is going to have the best season?
School: 2021 - 2022
Alvarado: Jill Barkey - Makayla Good
Argyle: Taryn Hill - Katelyn Johnson
Birdville: Cynthia Rinehart - Whitney Woody
Boyd: Dusty Crafton - Clark Oberle
Brewer: Kimberly Branch - Jill Barkey
Brock: Keith Guyon - Nicholas Gay
Eaton: Diane Wilson - Leslie Berens
Euless Trinity: Mia Langi - Casey Tribble
Haltom: Natalie Gonzales - Kristinn Holbrooks
Keller: Lauren Rao - Danielle Barker
Kennedale: Kelly Carl - Mary Malone
Lake Worth: Kelly Covert - Alex Oppenborn
Liberty Christian: Kim Grizzle - Megan DeGroot
Midlothian Heritage: Erika Weber - Rebecca Anderson
Southlake Carroll: Teresa Dunn - Jason Tanaka
Weatherford: Nicholas Gay - Karli Morrison
Three-peat?
Decatur has been added to the Fort Worth-area coverage this season and its volleyball team is one of the best in the state. The Eagles have won back-to-back Class 4A state titles and three in the past four years.
The Eagles went 37-8 last season and 31-1 in 2020, and haven’t dropped a district game since 2019.
They only gave up one set during last year’s playoff run and dominated the state tournament. Bellville (semifinal) and Celina (title game) only managed to average 15 points in six sets against Decatur.
The big question in 2022 is how will the Eagles replace their quadruple threat.
Jentry Lamirand, Kota Hartman, Bayli Miller and Kaylee Peterson all graduated.
Who will step up in 2022?
Junior libero Morgan Hammer will be a player to watch this season and a leader for the Eagles.
Return trip to state?
Keller (6A) and Grapevine (5A) both reached the state title game for the first time in program history, but finished as state runner-up. Can both make a return trip?
The Indians graduated the best player in the area, Melanie McGann, but do return plenty of experience that includes Miami committed setter Taylor Polivka (No. 7 in the Fort Worth-area) and USC commit Leah Ford (No. 9). Outside hitter Reagan Sharp and defenders Kea Whillock and Landry McEachern are also back.
Meanwhile, Grapevine has reached state in back-to-back years under Robyn Wallace (two-time all-area coach of the year). However, the Mustangs also graduated top player Janet DeMarrais, along with Alea Lastinger (second in kills). But they also bring back experience with middles Ava Shankle and Greyson Button, outside Sydney Engel and setters Mikayla Ethridge and Amanda Coy.
Moving up
There are several Fort Worth-area volleyball teams that moved up a classification during the UIL realignment in February. How will they fare in 2022?
Crowley
Last season: 10-21, sixth in District 8-5A
This season: District 3-6A
Prediction: Fourth
Mansfield Legacy
Last season: 23-17, co-champ in District 8-5A, area round
This season: District 11-6A
Prediction: Third
Argyle
Last season: 31-13, second in District 7-4A, regional final
This season: District 7-5A
Prediction: Fourth
Midlothian Heritage
Last season: 30-19, first in District 11-4A, regional quarterfinal
This season: District 8-5A
Prediction: Fourth
This story was originally published August 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
