The Austin American-Statesman Top 11 preseason high school volleyball athletes, Aug. 6, 2026. Back row from left: Round Rock’s Kerington Thornton, Anderson’s Chloe Frizzell and Westlake’s Geralynne Byers-Veal. Front row from left: Georgetown’s Amelia Albright, Lake Travis’ Gentry Barker, Round Rock’s Isa Cordaway-Dreier, Weiss’ Ava Jackson, Lake Travis’ Xyanna Stephens, Johnson’s Mya Ibarra and Bowie’s Jazzlyn Hepburn. Not pictured: Westlake’s Clayton Kelly.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
In what was perhaps the greatest season in Central Texas volleyball, three Austin-area schools advanced to UIL state championship matches for the first time in 2025, led by Cedar Park’s sweep of top-ranked Argyle to win the Class 5A Division II crown. Austin High was a state runner-up in Class 6A DII and Wimberley was runner-up in 4A DII.
This season brings another chance for the area to break through with state titles, though 2026 could be dominated by a small group of impressive sophomores. The 2025 season was senior-heavy; of the 54 players honored on the American-Statesman’s All-Central Texas team, 33 were seniors and there were only five underclassmen on the first and second teams.
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MORE: Who was Central Texas’ top overall sports program last year? Our final standings
Here are 75 Central Texas players to watch, starting with our top 11, listed alphabetically:
Amelia Albright, Georgetown
The senior setter and right-side hitter was last year’s District 23-5A MVP and an ACVA honorable mention All-American. She’s committed to Florida and has 868 career assists, 288 kills, 63 aces and 436 digs. She was a first-team All-Central Texas selection last year.
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Gentry Barker, Lake Travis
The senior is perhaps the top six-rotation player in the state and is coming off a stellar all-around season. She ripped 572 kills and had 382 digs, 32 aces and 20 blocks. She was a MaxPreps first-team All-American and notched her 1,500th career kill last year. She’s committed to San Diego State. She and Albright were the only two nonseniors on last year’s All-Central Texas first team.
Geralynn Byers-Veal, Westlake
The sophomore outside hitter was the American-Statesman’s Central Texas newcomer of the year in 2025 for the Class 6A state quarterfinalist Chaps. She also was District 26-6A’s newcomer of the year after posting 370 kills, 187 digs, 52 blocks and 32 aces for the season.
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Isa Cordaway-Dreier, Round Rock
The Round Rock sophomore was last year’s District 25-6A defensive MVP as a freshman after posting 601 digs with 61 aces and 84 assists for the district-champion Dragons. She was one of our four finalists for 2025 Central Texas newcomer of the year and was a third-team All-Central Texas selection.
Chloe Frizzell, Anderson
An adept six-rotation player, the Trojans junior collected 287 kills last season along with 162 digs, 44 aces and 33 blocks for the two-time district champions. She was a third-team All-Central Texas selection.
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Jazzlyn Hepburn, Bowie
Hepburn, who is committed to Washington, is a phenomenal athlete who averaged 4.7 kills and 2.9 digs per set and was a first-team All-District 26-6A selection last year.
Mya Ibarra, Johnson
After earning her district’s newcomer of the year award in 2024, Ibarra followed up with 393 kills, an average of 3.8 kills per set and all-district and all-state tournament honors as a sophomore. The junior also had 25 blocks and 73 digs. She was a second-team All-Central Texas selection last year.
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Ava Jackson, Weiss
The sophomore was her district’s setter of the year as a freshman, averaging 9.6 assists per set and totaling more than 1,200 for the season along with 88 kills, 302 digs and 51 blocks. One of our four finalists for 2025 Central Texas newcomer of the year, she was a third-team All-Central Texas pick.
Clayton Kelly, Westlake
The Chaps’ MVP last year had a tremendous all-around sophomore season: 280 kills, 303 digs, 50 aces and 56 blocks.
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Xyanna Stephens, Lake Travis
The senior was District 26-6A’s defensive player of the year last season, recording more than 1,000 digs. She was a second-team All-Central Texas selection.
Kerington Thornton, Round Rock
The Dragons senior was a second-team All-Central Texas pick and is one of the area’s dominant middle blockers. Committed to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, she tallied 390 kills and 78 blocks for the District 25-6A champions.
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Other Central Texas players to watch
Piper Adair, McCallum OH, junior
Jade Anderson, Connally DS/OH, senior
Aniyah Baker, LBJ OH, senior
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Hayden Baldacchino, St. Michael’s OH, sophomore
Frances Beiter, St. Michael’s S, senior
Nora Bettis, Austin High S, senior
Laven Blumoff, Austin High DS, senior
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Harper Bohnen, Cedar Park OH, junior
Elise Bowman, St. Stephen’s S, senior
Denariah Bosier, Stony Point MB, junior
Brooklyn Bradley, Round Rock OH, senior
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Deja Carroll, Weiss OH, junior
Olivia Coleman, Ann Richards S/OH, junior
Kyrksen Cook, Westlake S, junior
Savy Cook, St. Andrew’s DS, senior
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Emma Davis, Leander DS, senior
Kristen Duron-Rangel, Travis S, senior
Mia Davis, McCallum S, senior
Piper Evans, Westwood MB, senior
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Jaci Ezekwuka, East View MB, senior
Kharmin Fisher, Hutto S, senior
Mackenzie Frierson, Hyde Park S, senior
Hannah Griffin, Liberty Hill OH, junior
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Olivia Gorakhpurwalla, Vandegrift OH, junior
Addison Gottschalk, Weiss MB, junior
Julyana Harris, Anderson MB, senior
Tanoa Hawthorne, LASA OH, sophomore
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Audrey Hedlund, Vandegrift MB, senior
Iyanna Herzog, Stony Point OH, senior
Sadie Jorgensen, Vandegrift S, senior
Anna Kurz, Cedar Park DS, senior
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Trinity Laney, Wimberley OH, sophomore
Brooke Leigh, Regents MB, junior
Wesley McGinnis, Austin High OH, senior
Caroline Miller, Westwood OH, junior
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Mallory Miller, Georgetown OH, senior
Katelyn Mireles, Pflugerville S, junior
Bianca Mohr, Wimberley S, junior
Abby Norling, Vista Ridge OH, senior
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Bella Obiefuna, Hays MB, junior
Isla Ornelas, Rouse S, senior
Lee Phillips, Hyde Park MB, junior
Jordan Pitkethley, Georgetown DS, junior
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Pieper Poage, Anderson OH, senior
Layla Pokorny, East View OH, senior
Lola Polsley, Hutto OH, senior
Avery Ralston, Rouse OH, senior
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Tabitha Roberson, LASA OH, junior
Lyla Rosas, Bowie DS, senior
Alexa Sandoval, Dripping Springs DS, senior
Parker Schurle, Ann Richards OH, junior
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Madison Sestak, Dripping Springs OH, senior
Summer Snyder, Liberty Hill DS, junior
Kelsey Stallworth, Gateway Prep MB, senior
Tilly Streeter, St. Andrew’s S, senior
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Jenna Tello, Johnson DS, junior
Kara Thames, Wimberley DS, senior
Poppy Timmons, Regents OH, junior
Miriam Tovar, Eastside OH, senior
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Eva Marie Thompson, Hendrickson OH, senior
Cailee Valadez, Cedar Ridge OH, senior
Kelsi Watson, Vista Ridge OH, sophomore
Maggie Wheeler, Lake Travis OH, junior
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Honor White, Dripping Springs MB, senior
Addison Wyatt, Cedar Ridge MB, junior