Here is a team-by-team season preview of the Class 6A volleyball teams in Montgomery County.
The Woodlands, Grand Oaks, Conroe and College Park made the playoffs a season ago while Willis, Oak Ridge, New Caney and Caney Creek are working to get into the top four this season.
The Woodlands
Off of last year’s trip to the University Interscholastic League state volleyball final four in Class 6A – its fifth trip in program history – The Woodlands is ready to get back to action.
The Highlanders are approaching the 2023 season with Terri Wade in her ninth year heading up the program and will have a good mix of returners and new faces.
The Woodlands lost 10 seniors off its team that went 43-10 last fall, shared the District 13-6A title with Grand Oaks and fell in four sets to eventual state champion Dripping Springs last November in Garland.
Wade’s group suffered eight losses in August last season as it endured a myriad of injuries. From September on, the Highlanders were 23-2 and dropped 17 sets.
Gone are the team’s leading defender Molly Tuozzo (Kentucky), who was the Montgomery County Player of the Year after piling up over 1,100 digs as a senior.
Versatile Claire DeWine (Colgate) also graduated after contributing 436 kills and leading the team with 696 assists. She was the county co-Setter of the Year.
The Highlanders return Ella Lewis, a junior who has already accumulated 897 varsity kills through two seasons. She also had 367 digs last season.
Senior Sophie Jones is back after leading The Woodlands in blocks last year with 111 and adding 136 kills.
Senior Brooke Jones (setter) as well as juniors Payton Stroud (setter) and Cameron McDaniel (defensive specialist) are also back.
Grand Oaks
The Grizzlies (38-10) set a school record in wins a year ago, shared a District 13-6A title with The Woodlands and battled to the finish in the area round with a formidable Bridgeland team that moved on to the Region II-6A championship a week later in a five-set grind.
Grand Oaks head coach Morgan Rogers, in her fifth year leading the program, has a lot to be excited about as the team returns six strong contributors from a year ago.
It all starts with Jaela Auguste, a University of Florida commit who’s been competing with the United States U19 national volleyball team during the high school offseason.
The senior middle blocker made 164 blocks and totaled 336 kills as a junior and was the Montgomery County Defensive MVP.
Samara Coleman returns as the leading kills producer. The junior outside hitter had 515 a year ago while picking up 362 digs and totalling 56 blocks. She also had 41 aces.
Halle Thompson, the Montgomery County Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, returns for her sophomore year as an outside hitter. She had 485 kills, 76 blocks and 349 digs last year.
Also back are senior opposite hitter Caelyn Emmerling (196 kills, 73 blocks), senior setter Audrey Terry (678 assists, 251 digs) and sophomore libero Cali Reece (168 digs, 33 aces).
“(The) talent level is high in all positions,” Rogers said of the strengths of this year’s team. “More experienced than last year and (there’s) team chemistry.”
Rogers listed the team’s top goal of getting past the second round of the playoffs, something the team has been unable to do thus far.
Conroe
Conroe faced some offseason changes with the retirement of coach Charvette Brown.
In steps Brown’s top assistant, Keandra McCardell, and the Tigers hope to build off a banner season in 2022.
Conroe set the school record for wins as it went 44-6 and earned its first playoff win in program history.
The season ended against Tomball, but Conroe returns plenty of talent from that team, which was led offensively by Louisiana-Monroe freshman Ariana Brown, who was the Montgomery County Offensive MVP.
Back is Brooklyn Spikes, a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers. Spikes, a middle, had 390 kills, 266 blocks and 121 aces last year.
Kaiden Medford is a senior right side with 460 kills last year while Kenedi Medford is a setter with 1,034 assists and 80 aces as a junior.
Rising star Kendall Glover is back in the middle after a sophomore year with 344 kills and 177 blocks.
Conroe is tasked at filling the void left by libero Emma Malak, one of the team’s leaders the past couple years.
McCardell, who played collegiately at the University of Houston, said of her team’s strength this year is chemistry with so many back from last year’s successful season.
College Park
College Park extended its playoff streak last season with a tiebreaker win over Willis for the fourth and final playoff spot in District 13-6A.
Head coach Candace Gibson’s team has a 50/50 mix of experienced seniors and up-and-coming underclassmen.
Gone are eight seniors, but the Cavaliers (24-10) regularly played three freshmen and had a key sophomore out with a knee injury.
Morgan Madison missed most of her sophomore year after tearing an ACL on Sept. 1 last season, but is back at libero. She managed 289 digs, 45 assists and 23 aces prior to the injury.
Lacy Tinnell was named District 13-6A Newcomer of the Year after a solid debut season at middle blocker. She totaled 305 kills, 83 blocks and added 78 digs.
Caroline Prihoda also saw extensive playing time as a freshman and is back at setter after accounting for 599 assists and 252 digs.
Another sophomore, Reese Ellen, is back after 118 kills, 50 digs and 12 blocks at right side hitter.
Gibson is encouraged by the potential of this group of fast learners and quick adjusters.
“(They are) young but drive, lots of room to grow and lots of potential,” she said.
The team’s goal is to fight for a district title and improve every day on the court.
“I am very excited for this year’s team,” Gibson said. “We may be young, but I think our team has great team chemistry and great players in key positions.
Willis
Willis was among the most improved teams in Montgomery County a year ago.
The Wildkats jumped from 16 total wins (one district) in 2021 to a 28-18 record a year ago, a 9-7 record in District 13-6A and nearly made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2019, but fell short in a tiebreaker with College Park.
Making the playoffs is the top goal of this year’s team, as stated by head coach Megan Storms.
“This team has so much potential and I am so excited to see what the future holds for them,” Storms said. “I don’t know if I’ve looked forward to coaching a group more than this one.”
Junior outside hitter/middle blocker Carly Paugh is among the returnees after setting down 450 kills, digging 147 shots and totalling 35 blocks.
Storms stated the team has a family atmosphere led by a core of seniors in Sam Skelton, Grace Wilder, Haley Truett, Sophie Satterwhite and Delaney New.
This team has so much potential and I am so excited to see what the future holds for them. I don’t know if I’ve looked forward to coaching a group more than this one.
“We are continuing to work to improve in all aspects of the game, but I want us to especially work on our defensive mindset and decision making,” Storms said.
Oak Ridge
With a young roster a year ago, the Oak Ridge War Eagles managed a season with a winning record overall, but came up short in District 13-6A play, missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.
The War Eagles are back in 2023 and head coach Tommie Lynne Sledge stated her team has variety to work with.
“We have some young players that will grow and can play multiple positions,” Sledge said.
Key returners from last year’s 24-19 squad include senior middle hitter Luvina Oguntimehin, junior setter Bradi Rhodes.
Also back is Gaby Santiago, one of three freshmen to make All-Montgomery County (second team) a year ago. Santiago totaled 366 kills, 318 digs and 66 aces.
Sledge said her team needs to continue to get comfortable with each other, grow in confidence and know that they can be young and compete at a high level.
New Caney
Moving up to Class 6A last year, the Eagles experienced some growing pains with an 8-27 record overall and a 4-12 mark in District 13-6A (seventh place).
Second year coach Candi Leonard stated this year’s team is determined to work hard, play hard, stay focused on one point at a time and get better with each play.
Key seniors returning include defensive specialist Tobie Newsom, six-rotation pin hitter Coryn Bailey and outside hitter Faith Holland. Juniors Rylie Goff (setter) and Emilee McKee (defensive specialist) will also be relied on upon.
Caney Creek
Caney Creek, also a team in just its second year at the Class 6A level, is working to improve on last year’s eighth place finish in District 13-6A.
Second-year coach Samantha Lang returns four starters and eight varsity experienced players from last year’s team that went 9-24 overall and 2-14 in league play.
A trio of juniors lead the charge.
Brooklyn Davis totaled 162 kills, 242 digs and 44 aces a year ago. Isabell Peters had 67 kills, 10 solo blocks and 15 block assists. Hailey Caballero assisted on 179 points with 98 digs and 28 aces.
(We want to) continue to be more competitive with the tops teams in our district,” Lang said.
