There are several areas that can make a claim that they feature the best overall volleyball product in Texas.
Frisco ISD is one of those and its credentials are tough to beat.
With FISD now split up into different districts, it opened the door for more teams to shine as they took full advantage, sweeping the top four spots in 9-5A and 10-5A, and getting a ninth playoff team with Class 4A Panther Creek breaking through in its inaugural campaign.
Extended runs in the playoffs would be limited by one another, as the bi-district round featured four Frisco ISD head-to-head match-ups, with 9-5A gaining the bragging rights by winning three of those.
The regional quarterfinals offered up two more FISD battles, with Reedy winning the rubber match against Lone Star and Wakeland knocking off Liberty in a battle of district champions.
But while the Wolverines were the story during the district season, posting an undefeated record to claim the 9-5A title, it was Reedy that won perhaps the most important match of the season, knocking off Wakeland in three tight games in the Class 5A Region II championship to become the first FISD team to qualify for the state tournament.
The debate over spots on the 9-5A all-district team was as intense as the battles on the court, but it is generally the district champion that earns the lion’s share of the accolades and on that list, it was the Wolverines who led the way.
Wakeland had 11 players selected to the team and captured three of superlative honors.
Senior defensive specialist Savannah Ivie was selected as the defensive player of the year. Ivie posted a team-high 4.3 digs per set and was also key behind the service line with 21 aces.
Junior Jessica Jones was tabbed the 9-5A blocker of the year. Jones was a force at the net, recording 178 blocks and also tallying 2.2 kills per game.
The other major award went to head coach U’ilani Womble and her assistants, as they were named coaching staff of the year after guiding the Wolverines to a 33-5 record and its first district championship since 2016.
Wakeland landed three more players on the first team.
Senior right side/middle blocker Hannah Pfiffner averaged 2.4 kills per game and added 101 blocks.
Senior setter Audrey Clark was one of the top distributors in the area, recording 6.7 assists per set and also averaged 2.0 digs per game, with 57 blocks and 42aces.
Senior outside hitter Elyse Niemann was also a first-team pick as she had 2.3 kills per set with 35 blocks.
The second team included three more Wakeland players. Senior defensive specialist Kaleigh Williams had 2.0 digs per set with 27 aces. Junior outside hitter Keala Bandy contributed 1.6 kills and 2.0 digs per game and sophomore Sarah Pfiffner tallied 3.2 assists per set as the team’s second setter, to go along with 2.1 digs and 27 aces.
The Wolverines also had a pair of honorable mention selections with senior outside hitters Camryn Kennedy (1.2 kpg) and Rachel Dickerson (1.2 dpg).
Reedy landed seven players on the team, highlighted by a pair of superlative awards.
Senior Gracie Cagle was honored as the 9-5A outstanding setter. Cagle ranked among the area leaders with 4.4 assists per game, but she did much more, averaging 1.9 kills and 1.8 digs per set to go along with 50 aces and 24 blocks.
Senior outside hitter Halle Schroeder was tabbed the offensive player of the year, but like Cagle, she also did much more in other areas. Schroeder posted a team-high 4.2 kills per game, with 2.9 digs, 46 blocks and 31 aces.
Senior middle hitter Reese Miller was named to the first team, as she recorded 2.6 kills per set to go along with 57 blocks.
Miller was joined on the first team by senior defensive specialist Ella Gamber, who led the team with 3.2 digs per set with 36 aces.
Senior middle hitter Taylor Fogliani made the second team, as she had 1.1 kills per game with a team-high 81 blocks and 28 aces.
The Lions also had a pair of honorable mentions with junior setter Carter Fouche (4.2 apg, 1.8 dpg, 41 aces) and junior defensive specialist Sophia Blaufuss (1.8 dpg, 17 aces).
Lone Star enjoyed a breakthrough campaign that not only saw them return to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. It was their first playoff appearance at the Class 5A level and they claimed their first two postseason victories in program history.
The Rangers were recognized for their season with a dozen honorees, including the district’s top honor as senior Amani Mason was selected as the 9-5A most valuable player.
Mason did a little of everything for Lone Star, recording 3.4 kills and 1.1 digs per set, with 47 blocks and 34 aces.
The Rangers had an additional superlative award with freshman Camille Perry being tabbed newcomer of the year. Perry established herself as an immediate presence at the net, leading the team wiht118 blocks to go along with 1.7 kills per game.
Lone Star had two more first-team honorees. Junior libero Emilee Prochaska led the team with 2.2 digs per set with 33 aces and junior Faith Harris averaged 2.9 kills with 25 aces.
Senior Tori Green recorded 94 blocks and 1.3 kills per game to earn a spot on the second team, where she was joined by senior Taylor McGee, who had 4.1 assists per set with 39 aces.
Lone Star had six additional players named as honorable mentions with senior middle hitters Kyler Birkelbach (0.9 kpg, 59 blocks) and Esi Eshun (78 blocks), senior middle blocker Layla Baker (0.9 kpg, 39 blocks), senior libero/setter Tiffany Lam (4.0 apg, 18 aces), junior setter Kellen Fitzgerald (3.7 apg, 15 aces) and junior libero/defensive specialist Trystin Ross (47 aces).
Frisco was another team that enjoyed a breakthrough, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and it was rewarded with eight spots on the team.
That included a pair of first-team honorees with junior middle hitter Addison Sohosky and senior liberto Adamari Hernandez.
Sohosky led the team with 3.2 kills per set, with 1.1 digs per game and 44 blocks. Hernandez posted a team-high 4.0 digs per game and 41 aces.
The Raccoons landed a trio of players on the second team.
Senior middle hitter/outside hitter Savy Davis contributed in a number of different areas, registering 2.1 kills and 2.3 digs per set, with 37 aces and 10 blocks. Senior setter Alexis Carranza dished out 6.6 assists per game to go along with 2.2 digs per set and 38 aces and sophomore outside hitter Karli Jordan had 2.2 kills and 1.4 digs per game with 19 blocks.
Frisco had three more honorable mentions with sophomores Kayla Green (1.4 apg, 1.1 dpg, 18 aces) and Cameron Cecil (1.5 kpg, 57 blocks) and freshman Olivia Hewitt (15 blocks, 0.8 kpg).
9-5A Volleyball All-District Team
Most Valuable Player
Amani Mason     Sr.    OH   Lone Star
Defensive Player of the Year
Savannah Ivie     Sr.    DS    Wakeland
Outstanding Blocker
Jessica Jones       Jr.     MB   Wakeland
Offensive Player of the Year
Halle Schroeder   Sr.    OH   Reedy
Outstanding Setter       Â
Gracie Cagle        Sr.    S      Reedy
Newcomer of the Year
Camille Perry      Fr.    MB   Lone Star
Coaching Staff of the Year
Wakeland
Sportsmanship Award
Frisco
Lone Star
Carrollton Creekview
First Team
Hannah Pfiffner   Sr.    MB/RS      Wakeland
Audrey Clark      Sr.    S      Wakeland
Elyse Niemann    Sr.    OH   Wakeland
Reese Miller        Sr.    MH  Reedy
Ella Gamber        Sr.    DS    Reedy
Emilee Prochaska Jr.     L      Lone Star
Faith Harris         Jr.              Lone Star
Addison Sohosky Jr.     MH  Frisco
Adamari Hernandez      Sr.    L      Frisco
Josie Bishop        Jr.     OH   The Colony
Miranda Garcia   Sr.    MB   The Colony
Ledisi Kpea Sr.    MH  Carrollton Newman Smith
Naiyah Woodard Jr.     S      Carrollton Creekview
Second Team
Keala Bandy       Jr.     OH   Wakeland
Sarah Pfiffner      So.   S      Wakeland
Kaleigh Williams Sr.    DS    Wakeland
Taylor Folgiani   Sr.    MH  Reedy
Taylor McGee     Sr.              Lone Star
Tori Green Sr.    MH  Lone Star
Savy Davis Sr.    MH/OH     Frisco
Alexis Carranza  Sr.    S      Frisco
Karli Jordan                 So.   OH   Frisco
Sophia Smith      Sr.    S      The Colony
Kacie Rangel       Sr.    DS    The Colony
Alyssa Luevanos Jr.              Carrollton Creekview
Nenu Kpea So.   MH  Carrollton Newman Smith
Catherine Stepaniak     Sr.    S/MH/OH  Carrollton R.L. Turner
Honorable Mention
Camryn Kennedy Sr.    OH   Wakeland
Rachel Dickerson Sr.    OH   Wakeland
Carter Fouche     Jr.     S      Reedy
Sophia Blaufuss  Jr.     DS    Reedy
Tiffany Lam        Sr.    L/S   Lone Star
Esi Eshun  Sr.    MH  Lone Star
Layla Baker         Sr.    MB   Lone Star
Kellen Fitzgerald Jr.     S      Lone Star
Kyler Birkelbach Sr.    MH  Lone Star
Trystin Ross       Jr.     L/DS Lone Star
Kayla Green                 So.             Frisco
Olivia Hewitt       Fr.              Frisco
Cameron Cecil     So.   MH  Frisco
Grace Witham     Sr.    DS    The Colony
Marisa Gallardo  Sr.    DS    The Colony
Kaitlyn Pryor      Sr.    S/DS The Colony
Sinaya Holder     So.   MH  Carrollton Creekview
Alyssa Montenegro       So.             Carrollton Creekview
Christine Lee       So.   S      Carrollton Newman Smith
Kennady Hughes So.   MH  Carrollton Newman Smith
Eriona Zeqiri       Sr.    OH   Carrollton Newman Smith
Jaclyn Dehard     Jr.     OH   Carrollton Newman Smith
Caylynn Wisner  Jr.     OH/RS       Carrollton Newman Smith
Hannah Brown    So.             Carrollton Newman Smith
Dakota Dominguez       Sr.    L/DS Carrollton Newman Smith
Rebecca Avina    Jr.     OH/DS       Carrollton R.L. Turner
Melanie Alvarez  Sr.    DS    Carrollton R.L. Turner
Addison Derrick  So.   MH  Carrollton R.L. Turner
Leila Farda So.   S/DS Carrollton R.L. Turner
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