Rich Tradition in a Small Texas Town
Texas High School Volleyball is littered with amazing athletes that come from all over the state. Most news stories are about big 5A or 6A schools because of the sheer size of them. The enrollment of these schools range from 1210-2219…
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Continue ReadingTexas High School Volleyball is littered with amazing athletes that come from all over the state. Most news stories are about big 5A or 6A schools because of the sheer size of them. The enrollment of these schools range from 1210-2219 for 5A and 2220 and above for 6A. The size of these schools make it very difficult to weed through all of the athletes that try out for the program. There are only a certain amount of spots available.
There is a different feel when it comes to smaller schools though. Most schools are lucky to have enough try out for the volleyball program. However with one school in central Texas this is not the case. There is a proud volleyball culture here.
I’d like to highlight a school from little town with a population of 2,225. Poth High School since 1995 has been a volleyball powerhouse. With an enrollment of 243 which barely meets the requirement range of 230-514, this school has consistently gone deep into the playoffs each year and they have won 9 state titles in that time frame, been to the state finals 12 times, and made it to the regional finals 18 times. They haven’t missed the playoffs once in the last thirty years. Most of these were while they were in 2A but they moved up to 3A in 2014 when Texas added a 6thdivision.
Photo Credit: Andrew Cely – KSATThis coming year they have a crop of young kids who could very easily continue that streak. Let’s meet a few of them.
Jeralyn Wiatrek [2021] 5-9 Middle (#23)
One of the weapons on this hungry team is Miss Wiatrek. She is very active at the net on both the offensive and defensive end. Her footwork really stands out as she is always ready to run her route in serve receive and out of quick defensive transition moments. She possesses a great wrist snap that gives her the ability to hit deep corners to score. On the defensive side of the ball two things stand out to me. Her ability to read the set of her opponent before the setter contacts the ball and her communication to her teammates to set up the defense. She is a big time player for this school. We are looking forward to watching her as a senior next year.
Shianne Thomas [2021] 5-10 Right Side (#13)
Shianne is a strong player for this gifted bunch. Last year she played primarily right side for this team. She is also very active as she regularly double blocks on any set near her zone. She has a great rapport with setter Kenna Conn as they hook up regularly for the attack. Her weapon on the right side is the speed of her arm swing. It is lightning quick and catches the block off guard as she scores a lot off of block deflections out of bounds. She also possesses quick footwork that help her floor activity. She will also be a significant player as a senior next year.
Jordan Lissy [2021] 5-3 Defensive Specialist/Outside (#35)
The question on my mind is how does coach Patti Zenner use this athletically gifted young lady this coming season. She is listed as both a defensive specialist and an outside hitter. Standing at 5-3 or 5-4 she looks like any normal short volleyball player. However when you watch this kid play, you will be amazed at both her speed and ability to lift off of the ground with her vertical. I’ve seen this young lady in private lessons and she can be the real deal as an outside hitter if given the opportunity. I would personally love to see her not come off the court during her senior year. She reminds me of a player I had a couple of years back named Rachel Fairbanks who was just as short and played club for my team. No one thought she could play front row but she ended up being a four-year starter in the NCAA at UAB. I think Miss Lissy could be just as explosive.
Sydney Kroll Sydney Kroll 5'11" | MB Poth | 2022 State TX [2022] 5-10 Middle/Outside (Club: Team Red Athletics)
This dual threat volleyball player is listed as the 51stplayer in the state of Texas on Prep Dig’s statewide rankings and she is quickly moving up the list even further. She should be on quite a few college coach’s lists soon when the club season starts back up. She is a threat wherever you place her on the court. In High School, she plays primarily middle blocker, but in club she can play any position on the net. She travels almost an hour to play for a newer club out of San Antonio Team Red Athletics. They have the ability to use her at multiple positions and she excels at each one. She is able to play as a true six rotation outside hitter who never comes off the court and be a primary passer during that. She is also a tremendous blocking threat out of the middle. She possesses speed in her approach and awesome power in her swing. Syd is also an very accomplished softball player. If she wanted to, I’m sure she could play either sport in the NCAA. The sky is the limit with this one and she’s only a sophomore. Her Junior season should be very exciting to watch.
Khloe Naegelin [2022] 5-5 Libero (Club: Hill Country Strikers)
Another sophomore that has been a joy to watch is libero Khloe Naegelin. Miss Naegelin is everything for this team in the back row. Her passing form is what us coaches call “textbook” as she freezes her upper body during and after contact on serve-receive. But where she truly shines is on defense. She is relentless in pursuing the ball. Just when the opponent thinks they have a seam to hit through, she is there to dig it out. She is a prototypical libero when it comes to her communication on the court to her teammates before the play starts. You regularly see her calling out her hitters and getting her team ready. I love to watch the emotion she shows her teammates when celebrating points. It is very infectious.
Kenna Conn [2022] 5-3 Setter
Miss Conn brings a ton of experience back to this team after leading them to the playoffs already this past season. She has a knack for moving the ball around to keep the defense off-balance. Coach Zenner runs a 6-2 offensive system and keeps Kenna in the front row on the right side for offense. She regularly gets set and is a weapon for this team on the offensive end. This shows her athletic potential. We are looking for her to help lead this team pretty far into the playoffs during her Junior season.
Newcomers to the Varsity team that have good club experience are Freshman Jayci Svoboda who is a five foot five setter and Britley Loeffler, a five foot four setter/DS from Alamo Heights Strikers volleyball club. They are ready to bring their experience to a talented high school with a rich tradition.
There are many stories of schools similar to this that we will be covering. Stay tuned for more great info. If you think your school has a good story, please contact me and I will gladly communicate. Email me at nov8vb@yahoo.com.