See which schools are represented

SportsDayHS writer Greg Riddle breaks down the full preseason team in Dallas for the 2021 high school volleyball season below.

Setter Averi Carlson, Lovejoy

Lovejoy High School setter Averi Carlson (9) gets a hit between Grapevine High School outside hitter Janet DeMarris (12) and Grapevine High School middle blocker Lexi Mayfield (17) during the first game when Grapevine High School passed Lovejoy High School at Coppell High school in. played a Class 5A semi-final game at Coppell on Monday, December 7th, 2020. (Stewart F. House / Special Contributor)(Stewart F. House / Special Contributor)

The Baylor Promise is ranked Best Player in Texas in Class of 2022 by PrepVolleyball. Carlson has led Lovejoy to three consecutive state tournaments, winning consecutive state titles in 2019 and 2020, and finishing second with a newcomer in 2018. Lovejoy has won 90.8% of its games – and set a record of 119-12 – since joining Carlson started high school. The senior setter has 3,569 assists in her first three years of high school, including 679 in last year’s shortened season when Lovejoy went 26-0. Carlson was MaxPreps Newcomer of the Year in 2018, first-team All-American in 2019, and second-team All-American in 2020.

Middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, flower hill Marcus

The Texas A&M Promise had an exceptional 91 blocks (22 solo) for a 16-6 Marcus team last season, averaging 1.2 blocks per set. Cos-Okpalla, ranked the nation’s 130th best player in the 2022 class by PrepVolleyball, also made a big contribution to the offensive with 155 kills, which was the second most on the team. She had an amazing 13 blocks in a five set win over Hebron and added nine blocks in a five set win over Colleyville Heritage.

Outside hitter Kyndal Stowers, Denton Guyer

Denton Guyer High School outside hitter Kyndal Stowers (5) passes during the second game when Denton Guyer High School hosted Flower Mound High School on Tuesday September 22, 2020. (Stewart F. House / Special Contributor)(Stewart F. House / Special Contributor)

The Baylor Pledge is the younger sister of former Guyer four-star quarterback Eli Stowers, who is now with Texas A&M but has made a name for himself in volleyball. The 5-11 junior outdoor hitter got 579 kills in her first two years of high school, an average of 3.4 kills per set. That included 288 kills last year when Stowers averaged an exceptional 4.2 kills per set. She is rated by PrepVolleyball as the eighth best player in Texas in the class of 2023. Stowers becomes Under Armor’s First Team and Honorable Mention this season after graduating from All-American mid-blocker Jordyn Williams. Counted as Guyers leader Armor All-American Setter / Right Side Hitter Brooke Slusser.

Outside hitter Janet deMarrais, Grapevine

Grapevine High School outside hitter Janet Demarrais, 12, is served during the first game as Grapevine High School arrives at Denton High School in a Class 5A Region I finals at Flower Mound on Saturday, December 5, 2020 who played Marcus High School. (Stewart F. Haus / special contribution)(Stewart / Special Contributor)

Her performance in last year’s Class 5A Region I final showed how spectacular deMarrais can be as she recorded 34 kills in a five-set win over Denton, which brought Grapevine to the state semifinals for the first time. The Missouri Promise, which was an all-state pick for all states and first team as a junior, had 317 kills in 23 matches, averaging 13.8 kills per match. She played on the TAV 17 Black club team, which reached the national semifinals this summer.

Outside hitter Lexi Guinn, Frisco

The Texas A&M Pledge is made by PrepVolleyball in the 2022 class as the fourth best player in Texas and 22. Regional quarter-finalists Frisco Reedy, Frisco Wakeland and Frisco Liberty should all be among the top 5A teams in the Dallas area.

Libero Emily Canaan, Allen

Allen High School Libber Emily Canaan, 24, kicks the ball over the net during the second game when Allen High School hosted Prosper High School in Allen in a District 9-6A volleyball game on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. (Stewart F. House / special article)(Stewart F. House / Special Contributor)

The Florida Promise was a pick for all states last season, having recorded 332 digs and an average of 4.7 digs per set. She was voted Co-Defensive Player of the Year in District 5-6A, one of the toughest districts in the state. Canaan is ranked the second best libero in Texas and the nation’s 26th best player in the 2022 class.

Utility Maya Duckworth, Birdville

The Iowa State Pledge is a six rotation player selected for her first three years of high school in all states. Last year she was the MVP of District 6-5A, which included 5A semi-finalist Grapevine and regional finalist Denton. She had 360 kills in the shortened 2020 COVID-19 season, an average of 17.1 kills per match. In defense, she had 303 digs and 298 serves with only 29 errors.

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