Dripping Springs, Rouse headline Austin area in preseason volleyball polls
New classification? No problem for the Dripping Springs volleyball team.
At least that’s the prognostication by the Texas Girls Coaches Association in its preseason volleyball poll, which has the Tigers No. 2 in the state in Class 6A behind defending state champion San Antonio Brandeis.
Under head coach Michael Kane, the Tigers have won eight district titles over the past 10 years in Class 5A and have played in two consecutive regional finals. They went 37-16 a year ago and return a veteran squad spearheaded by two-time All-Central Texas striker Mackenzie Plante and 6-foot-4 freshman Henley Anderson, who's rated as one of the top players in the nation for the class of 2026.
The UIL’s biennial realignment in February placed Dripping Springs in District 26-6A with perennial powers such as Westlake and Lake Travis. With the Tigers' combination of experience, tradition and talent, the TGCA pollsters see them winning that district and making a long playoff run. They are the only Austin-area team ranked in the state’s preseason top 10.
Rouse, another perennial contender, enters the year No. 2 in the Class 5A poll. The Raiders went 37-12 last season and welcome back a strong core led by versatile senior outside hitter Kayla Lopez and three-year starting setter Savannah Skopal. No other area team is ranked in Class 5A’s top 10.
More:Which high schools top the rankings of the Austin area's athletic programs?
Thrall and Johnson City LBJ, two Class 2A contenders, are the other area teams ranked in the preseason poll. Thrall is No. 2 after going 34-8 and reaching the Class 2A state championship game a year ago and will lean on all-state right-side hitter Melaina Grissom. No. 10 Johnson City hasn’t lost a district game since 2018 under head coach Heather Wilson, and the Eagles are coming off a 28-13 season that ended in the third round against Thrall.
The volleyball season will begin Aug. 8.
Class 6A | |
1 | San Antonio Brandeis |
2 | Dripping Springs |
3 | Plano West |
4 | Fort Bend Ridge Point |
5 | The Woodlands |
6 | Northwest Eaton |
7 | Houston Bridgeland |
8 | Katy |
9 | San Antonio Reagan |
10 | Keller |
Class 5A | |
1 | Lucas Lovejoy |
2 | Rouse |
3 | Grapevine |
4 | New Braunfels Canyon |
5 | Manvel |
6 | Frisco Reedy |
7 | College Station |
8 | Amarillo |
9 | Colleyville Heritage |
10 | Argyle |
Class 4A | |
1 | Decatur |
2 | Celina |
3 | Bellville |
4 | Hereford |
5 | Glen Rose |
6 | Huffman-Hargrave |
7 | Tuloso-Midway |
8 | Canyon Randall |
9 | Aubrey |
10 | Caldwell |
Class 3A | |
1 | Bushland |
2 | Gunter |
3 | Goliad |
4 | Lorena |
5 | Brock |
6 | Boyd |
7 | Columbus |
8 | White Oak |
9 | East Bernard |
10 | Leonard |
Class 2A | |
1 | Beckville |
2 | Thrall |
3 | Crawford |
4 | Wink |
5 | Iola |
6 | Schulenburg |
7 | Jewett Leon |
8 | Bremond |
9 | Plains |
10 | Johnson City |
Class 1A | |
1 | Fayetteville |
2 | Blum |
3 | Bryson |
4 | Veribest |
5 | Sulphur Bluff |
6 | Round Top-Carmine |
7 | Wildorado |
8 | San Isidro |
9 | Miami |
10 | Graford |
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Dripping Springs, Rouse volleyball headline Austin area in poll
