High School Team of the Week – 11-6A Mansfield Tigers
Over the next few months I will be rolling out some articles that will recognize teams who have been playing exceptionally well this volleyball season. I will still be doing our regular highlight articles on multiple athletes for exposure, however…
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Continue ReadingOver the next few months I will be rolling out some articles that will recognize teams who have been playing exceptionally well this volleyball season. I will still be doing our regular highlight articles on multiple athletes for exposure, however I wanted to do some special articles on a few teams that we are getting to know quite well with Prep Dig TX. This week we will give special recognition to the Mansfield Volleyball Team as they are our High School Team of the Week.
Last season they reached the Regional Quarterfinals but, Mansfield Volleyball is on a mission this year. They are currently undefeated in district 11-6A at 8-0 on the young season. They are ranked as the 20thbest team in the State that is littered with college talent. Currently Mansfield only has one loss on the season as they sit at 12-1. Last week they swept district foe Cedar Hill. They also opened up round two of their district play with another sweep of Duncanville HS. These two sweeps have earned them a nod from Prep Dig Texas as our Team of the Week. The following players are just a few reasons why the Tigers are a force to be reckoned with:
Ava Roberts Ava Roberts 6'0" | RS Mansfield | 2022 State TX [2022] 6-0 Right Side/Middle (HS: Mansfield/Club: Texas Advantage/ Verbal: Uncommitted)
Ava Roberts Ava Roberts 6'0" | RS Mansfield | 2022 State TX is now currently ranked as the 36th top prospect in the wonderful State of Texas. In a previous article we wrote the following about Ava: “I am very impressed with this young lady’s work ethic. She has been training extra hard during the shutdown and it will pay off big when she gets back on the court. She plays for the world famous TAV club and shines for them on the right side/middle. She is versatile enough to hit quick sets and high tempo on the pins. She is gifted with a super strong frame that is built for the college game. She will transition very well to the workouts at the next level. She can jump extremely well and rises up with the best of them. What truly stands out is her power on her attack. Her upper body is so strong that the ball comes off of her hand contact so quickly. When she presses on the block, there is no hitter who can break that seal. This is a great weapon for a team to have. She has played against some of the best teams in the nation and she still shines. She sometimes steps inside and runs a slide in transition and also runs quicks from the right.I was first introduced to her by a friend when they watched her workouts at home during the pandemic. She posted them to her social media page and it wowed all of us. It became very apparent that this young lady has a drive unlike her peers. We are super excited to put her on the State Rankings and know she has the drive to move up the list soon.” The only changes I would like to what I previously wrote is this kid has only gotten better! She is only a Junior but she is a Stud for Mansfield High School. This young lady has power for days and plays with so much passion. I love to watch her celebrate a kill or a block with her teammates. It is so infectious. She is a blocking machine on the right side and middle. Once college coaches see how she can play at all three positions at the net, they will fall in love with that athleticism. She will be on my radar for the next few years and she should be on yours too!
Brynn Williams (2022) 5-11 Outside (HS: Mansfield/Club: Drive Nation/Verbal: Texas Tech)
Currently unranked on our Prep Dig State Rankings, but I plan on adding her next month. Stay tuned to see where she falls. Miss Williams can flat out fly on the left pin. She is gifted with natural athleticism that allows her to easily adjust to any set and still hit for power. Her long legs and arms allow her to sky over would-be blockers with ease. She hits at the peak of her jump to get maximum height on contact. I know the coaches at Tech and having sent players to their program myself, I know they are going to love Brynn’s playing ability. She is the type of player that should make an immediate impact on their program. When Mansfield is in trouble out of system, Brynn is their “go-to” on the left pin and she almost always delivers. That is a very good weapon to have on an already explosive team. We will be watching Brynn very closely for the next few years.
Taylor Fanning (2021) 6-0 Middle (HS: Mansfield/Club: NRG/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Taylor is currently unranked on our State Rankings also, but again that will change next month. Miss Fanning is a very long and skilled middle from the NRG club program. She is a solid blocker at the net for Mansfield and cleans up a lot of overpasses for them. She has a great connection with their setter to run all tempos out of the middle. She connects very well on the slide as they like to run it out of play-sets from serve receive both quick tempo and deep to the antenna. She will have to play very big if they are to continue their dominance from district into the state playoffs. There is no doubt in my mind that she has what it takes to be a senior leader for them moving forward. We are excited to see how her senior season will turn out.
Katie Le (2021) 5-4 Libero (HS: Mansfield/Club: TAV/Verbal: University of Central Oklahoma)
Kaite le is also unranked so far on our State Rankings List but just wait to see where she lands next month as we update it. She comes from the top club program in the state at TAV. They continue to pump out college prospects year in and year out. Miss Le is just another example of their great coaching. She has super soft hands just like a setter and can handle any overhead ball that comes her way with ease. Her footwork is astounding on the court as she is super fast and always balanced prior to and during contact. Her jump float drops like a sinker and infuriates opponents as it gets them out of system or scores an ace. If Mansfield goes on a run deep into the playoffs, Katie Le is going to be a huge reason why. Yes they have explosive offensive weapons, but they wouldn’t be the total team they are without amazing ball control and defense that she brings to them. She recently committed to Central Oklahoma and we know she will be a valuable asset to them next season.
We will be publishing more articles weekly to give recognition to those teams and athletes who are playing great in their matches. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone that you think deserves to be recognized as a player of the week, feel free to send me a message with their information. Or if you have anyone that you think have what it takes to be added to our database, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. As always, thanks for following our publication.