By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

SMU announced Friday that Dripping Springs outside hitter Christa Wilburn has enrolled at the university and is joining the Mustangs’ roster.

Wilburn joins a growing trend of high school athletes forgoing their senior season and enrolling in college early. The 6-foot-2 Wilburn was a 2026 commit to SMU, but reclassified to join the team this fall, according to a press release by SMU sports information Friday morning.

Wilburn was set to be a senior at Dripping Springs this fall and is considered one of the top five outside hitters in the Austin metropolitan area. She was a standout for both the Tigers and Regents, where she had over 500 kills as a freshman.

In her only season at Dripping Springs in 2024, she finished the year with 344 kills and 346 digs, and was an AVCA all-region selection and was named to several all-state and all-area teams.

In her club career, Wilburn was a three-time team MVP and a four-time captain for Austin Skyline Juniors.

Along side Texas commit Henley Anderson, the duo made the Tigers’ volleyball team a state contender. Anderson, also a senior this fall, is training with USA Volleyball U19 national team in Colorado. Anderson is still expected to be part of the Dripping Springs roster, but won’t join the team until her commitment to USA Volleyball is over in late August.

SMU begins the 2025 regular season on Aug. 29 in Baton Rouge against LSU. The Mustangs were 25-8 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Missouri.

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