2023 Phenoms Updates Vol 10
We are venturing back to the Houston area to update you on a few players from our State Rankings List. We have written about all athletes on our ranking list at least once from the 2023 class and up. We are…
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Continue ReadingWe are venturing back to the Houston area to update you on a few players from our State Rankings List. We have written about all athletes on our ranking list at least once from the 2023 class and up. We are going back and giving more updates on each of the athletes on our list from the past high school season and current club season. So without further ado, here are the updates of a few of the standouts from the 2023 class.
Arissa Smith Arissa Smith 6'1" | MB Ridge Point | 2023 State #105 Nation TX [2023] 6-2 Middle (HS: Ridgepoint/Club: Houston Juniors/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Arissa is currently the 21st ranked prospect in the 2023 class according to the Prep Dig State Rankings list. We wrote an article last summer when we first introduced her to our readers and here is a little from it, “The uncommitted long middle blocker from Houston is a sight to see. She has extremely long arms which stifle every opponent she goes up against. She patrols the net with ease due to her frame and excels in closing the block and sealing the net. She contacts extremely high on quick attacks and is almost unstoppable on offense. She has a very hard wrist snap which allows her to have added pop on her attacks. Arissa hits the ball with a ferocity out of the middle that is not seen in younger players. We have her ranked here due to her extremely high ceiling that she has. She plays for a great program in Houston Juniors who are no strangers to playing against the best competition in the nation. They will keep her progressing and we can’t wait to see her and her Ridgepoint teammates dominate in their high school season which is about to be underway. Keep your eyes on this stud as she progresses throughout the years.” She was super busy this club season with her Houston Juniors squad as they are on a mission to prove just how good they are. They are double qualified in the Open Division of USA Volleyball. We will be watching in person in Vegas as they look to solidify themselves as one of the best in the age group. Arissa also made a huge leap in her high school career as they asked her to be a big part of their offense this past year. She helped Ridgepoint to a 15-8 overall record and a 13-1 district record. Arissa improved in every category of her stats as she tallied 78 kills on 233 attempts and also added 65 blocks and 67 digs. She is just getting started as she will be a huge part of Ridgepoint’s game plan for her junior season. We will be watching very closely.
Devyn Lewis Devyn Lewis 6'1" | MB Manvel | 2023 State TX [2023] 6-2 Middle (HS: Manvel/Club: Absolute Volleyball Academy/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Devyn is currently the 28th ranked prospect in the 2023 class according to the Prep Dig State Rankings list. We wrote an article last summer when we first introduced her to our readers and here is a little from it, “Miss Lewis is a very talented Rising Sophomore who is out of the southeast side of Houston. She plays for a wonderful program in AVA. Devyn has an uncanny ability to hit a monstrous cut back shot toward the setter in zone 1. This young lady has a cannon and if there is a split in the block she will unleash it on her opponents. Setters are in trouble if she hits that cut back shot. It is extremely lethal. I love her transition footwork on the court. She is under the tutelage of former University of Texas great Katy Garza who always teaches such great middle footwork. Miss Lewis will no doubt keep getting better and will be on many college programs’ radars soon. She will help lead her high school program Manvel as a youngster this coming season.” We were very impressed with Devyn during her sophomore season at Manvel as she was able to help her varsity squad to a 20-6 overall record and also a 14-2 district record. In her first stint on varsity she was able to be a monster in the stat book tallying 183 kills on a beautiful .330 hitting percentage. She added 60 blocks and 30 aces. It is safe to say that she will be a huge part of their dominance in their district this coming season. We will be watching her AVA 16 Adidas team as they battle for supremacy in Vegas at USA Junior Nationals. Stay tune for more info on Miss Lewis.
Emily Schaper Emily Schaper 6'1" | OH Cy Woods | 2023 State TX [2023] 6-0 Outside (HS: Cy Woods/Club: Houston Skyline/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Emily Schaper Emily Schaper 6'1" | OH Cy Woods | 2023 State TX is currently the 80th ranked prospect in the 2023 class according to the Prep Dig State Rankings list. We wrote an article last summer when we first introduced her to our readers and here is a little from it, “She plays for a great club program in the Houston area, Houston Skyline. She is a six rotation pin hitter who can attack from everywhere on the court. Her arm should be registered as a weapon because it is explosive to say the least. She is ranked this high on our list due to her ability to do it all on the court. She plays back row like a DS/Libero and can dig hard driven attacks with ease. She can play in the middle and run a slide as if she has been doing it for years. There is nothing this kid can’t do on a court. Her versatility on a volleyball court will keep her on my radar for years to come. She can hit the high hard and deep shot as well as get on top of a ball to murder the attack line on the opposing side. Her attack approach is picturesque and looks like a seasoned veteran. If college programs do not know her name by now, they will soon. She is primed to help lead her Cy Woods high school team to many victories this coming season. I am excited to watch her grow throughout the next few years.” She had a tough going this year battling an injury, but it is great to see that she is back with a vengeance on the court.We are super excited for her as she has proved that she has the grit and determination/mental fortitude to overcome adversity. Any coach would love to have a player like this on their roster. Even though she missed her sophomore season, she is going to be looked at to help lead her varsity squad to continued success during her junior campaign. If it is anything like her freshman season in which she was able to tally 118 kills, then they will be in good hands. She has not skipped a beat since returning to the court and being fully cleared. We are loving what we see from her progress and can’t wait to cover her junior season.
There are many more amazing 2023 players from our State Rankings that we want to update you on. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Texas Family!