High School Tourney Spotlight – Deer Creek HS
In this article:
We were in attendance two weeks ago for the Bishop McGuinness Volleyball Tournament where we watched some really great competition. Deer Creek High School showed that they fear no one and are a left contender for the State Title. We…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWe were in attendance two weeks ago for the Bishop McGuinness Volleyball Tournament where we watched some really great competition. Deer Creek High School showed that they fear no one and are a left contender for the State Title. We watched this team twice throughout the tourney and they looked very good. They showed some really good fight against hard-hitting opponents. Their team is riddled with solid contribution across the board. We will discus what we saw.
Deer Creek plays defense like their life depends on it. They don’t let much hit the floor if it gets through their awesome front row. Their blockers patrol the net with patience and pounce on the hitter once they see the set location. Most won’t be able to see how well they all time the hitter’s approach, but true volleyball aficionados will be able to see it in every rally. This alone will keep them in every match they play as it might not always stop the attack but will slow them down and frustrate hitters.
Jenna Houk Jenna Houk 5'9" | OH Deer Creek | 2023 State OK is a division one prospect in every aspect of the sport. Not only is she a gifted offensive attacker, but her defensive abilities are in the discussion for best in the state. With what we saw in person, she will definitely be moving up the rankings in our next update. All tournament long she was stellar as she pulled her team out of any tight spot with her play-making abilities.
Cameron Turner Cameron Turner 6'0" | S Deer Creek | 2022 State OK is a college level setter now! She moves the ball around so well to each of her hitters and makes sure they have a balanced attack so that the opponent does not key in on one hitter. She is deadly in the front row as her second ball dumps catch everyone off-guard and if they don’t score, they keep the opponent out of system. She is an elite blocker that is showcased in every match she plays. It was very apparent in the championship match against Santa Fe as she stifled their playmakers routinely.
During the Championship match of the tourney, Deer Creek high school stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring and gave Santa Fe fits all match long. Set one was very close and Deer Creek outlasted Santa Fe 28-26 in extras to win. In set two, Santa Fe flexed its muscles and were in total control the entire way and ended up winning pretty convincingly by a score of 25-18. But Deer Creek wasn’t going away that easily and fought in the third set bravely only to fall to Santa Fe.
Other takes from watching Deer Creek play: Mazi Watson Mazi Watson 5'9" | OH Deer Creek | 2022 State OK is a great compliment to Jenna on the outside. She takes a big swing and can be counted on to continue the offensive onslaught when Jenna is in the back row. Julia McClendon does a phenomenal job for them out of the middle in both blocking and attacking. We are keeping our eyes on both of them to be added to the rankings soon.
Here is a little from our recent articles about the rest of their awesome lineup if you need to remember who they are:
Jenna Houk Jenna Houk 5'9" | OH Deer Creek | 2023 State OK [2023] 5-9 Outside (HS: Deer Creek/Club: Oklahoma Peak Performance/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Jenna is currently ranked as our 18th best overall prospect in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays for Deer Creek HS and also club for Oklahoma Peak Performance. Miss Houk is electric on the left side pin as she is very bouncy and gets off of the ground very quickly. She hits the ball with a lot of authority when she is able to turn on the ball and paint the line. It is this kind of vision that will keep her at the top of the list as she is able to see the block in front of her and score efficiently. I love her athleticism at the position. You can see her amazing body control in every aspect of the game. Although she might be a little undersized at the position, she doesn’t play like it at all. She is a great example for any young player that might be a little undersized that wants to play at a high level. We are excited to have her in our Prep Dig Family and look forward to watching her junior season. Please help us congratulate her on the honor she just earned.
Cameron Turner Cameron Turner 6'0" | S Deer Creek | 2022 State OK [2022] 6-0 Setter (HS: Deer Creek/Club: Oklahoma Peak Performance/Verbal: Southwestern Oklahoma)
Cameron is currently ranked as our 7th best overall prospect and the top setter in the 2022 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She is the floor general for Deer Creek High School and one of the best club teams in the Sooner state at Oklahoma Peak Performance. She is verbally committed to Southwestern Oklahoma State University to play Division II volleyball for the Bulldogs. She will be a great addition to their roster as she has tons of national level experience while playing at OP2. Miss Turner is a natural born leader as she has always been the captain of her high school and club teams throughout her career. This leadership is exactly what has propelled her to be able to play at the next level. We will be watching very closely as we cover her senior season. Stay tuned to see more coverage of Miss Turner. Please congratulate her on being named one of the best players in the 2022 class!
Haylee Harris Haylee Harris 5'5" | DS/L Deer Creek | 2023 State OK [2023] 5-4 Libero (HS: Deer Creek/Club: Oklahoma Charge/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Haylee is currently ranked as our 10th best overall prospect and the 2nd best libero in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She is one of the defensive anchors for Deer Creek High School and plays for one of the best club programs in the state in Oklahoma Charge. She was key for Deer Creek as they were able to play in the Oklahoma State 6A tournament. Haylee shows great touch on the ball and quick footwork across the back row. I like how she keeps her posture forward when she’s reading the play. This will help her stay consistent on digging/passing and keeping the ball in-system. She also does a great job of digging out of system balls well outside of her range. We are excited to have her in the Oklahoma Prep Dig State Rankings. Please congratulate her on achieving the recognition of her hard work.
Brynlee Birney Brynlee Birney 5'9" | DS/L Deer Creek | 2023 State OK [2023] 5-8 Libero (HS: Deer Creek/Club: Oklahoma Peak Performance/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Brynlee is currently ranked as our 17th best overall prospect in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings. She plays for Deer Creek High School and also club volleyball for the nationally recognized Oklahoma Peak Performance program. We were lucky enough to watch her in person this summer at USA Nationals in Vegas and we loved what we saw. She was all over the court reading offenses and covering her hitters. She has fantastic range on the defensive end and doesn’t let a lot of balls fall near her zone. Her court vision is what stands out the most when you watch her play. Her head is always on a swivel like a middle line backer in football as she is preparing to adjust to her defensive position and read for a swing, off-speed or deflection. We have our eyes on this young lady and fully expect her to move up the rankings. We are proud to have her in the Rankings and look forward to covering her. Please help us congratulate her on being one of the top players in the State of Oklahoma.
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!