By Kelly Marshall
Austin Sports Journal
As the 2025 UIL volleyball playoffs begin Thursday, the Austin Sports Journal sat down with publisher and executive editor Michael Adams, our in-house volleyball expert, to break down what fans can expect across South Central Texas.
Adams has covered high school volleyball across the Austin–San Antonio corridor for nearly two decades, leading ASJ’s respected coverage of the sport. From perennial contenders to small-school powerhouses, here are his insights on the teams and players to watch as the road to Garland begins.
Q: Which local teams are state contenders?
Adams: Salado, Wimberley, Cedar Park, Davenport, Johnson City and New Braunfels are my top candidates. Salado beat Austin High, a 6A powerhouse, convincingly at Austin High School on Monday. The Eagles have three Division I-level recruits in Elsie Law, Mazzy Johnson and Haley Brown. Setter Charlie Niu is also a Division I talent and only a sophomore.
Wimberley and Johnson City are defending state champions that reloaded in the offseason. The Texans appear to be on a collision course with Salado for a semifinal rematch that could be one of the best matches of the season in the state.
Cedar Park returns all but one player from last year’s Class 5A Division II runner-up team and looks ready to make another run to Garland.
New Braunfels is also dangerous and, in my opinion, a Class 5A Division I championship contender. The Unicorns will face a tough semifinal matchup but should move through Region IV.
Davenport gets the benefit of not being in Division II with Salado and Wimberley. That’s not a knock on the Wolves. It just shows the depth of Class 4A volleyball in the state. Davenport has a solid offensive attack behind Alexis Dahl and Aliyah Beauford, and has been a semifinal team the last two years and winning the state championship in 2023. There’s great potential for another run at state glory.
Q: Who is a dark horse that people aren’t talking about enough?
Adams: Anderson. I like this team a lot. The Trojans have won 14 straight matches and are playing at a high level. Kate Leakey and Chloe Frizzle are efficient hitters with percentages over .300. Anderson has a strong serving game and solid net defense. They are peaking at the right time and could make a deep playoff run.
Q: What’s different about this year’s playoff format?
Adams: The biggest change is the move to predetermined sites for the state semifinals. This was necessary after last year’s scheduling issues and the close turnaround to the state finals. I think the UIL could have combined classifications, such as holding 6A and 5A in one location, 4A and 3A in another, and 2A and 1A elsewhere. Regardless, this is a good step forward, with semifinals now played the Saturday before the state finals.
Q: Which team got the toughest draw?
Adams: La Grange. This is a sneaky good team that has the top seed from District 22-4A in Division II. If the Leopards were in another region, we might be talking about a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, they will likely face Salado in the second round. Austin High also has a tough path. The District 26-6A champions could meet San Antonio Harlan, one of the top teams in the state, in the second round if they get past Vista Ridge.
Q: What would you change about the playoff format?
Adams: I wish the UIL would re-seed each region in each classification. Currently, first round matchups are determined by district seeding, and it punishes teams for being successful. For example, Austin High won the District 26-6A championship and could face San Antonio Harlan (a top 10 team in the state), in the second round. If the Maroons had finished behind Dripping Springs, who finished fourth in 26-6A, they’d not have to play Harlan until the regional finals, which is where it should be because those are the two best teams in Region IV in 6A Division II.
Q: What is the best first-round matchup to watch?
Adams: Round Rock versus Westlake should be fun, as should Vandegrift versus Dripping Springs. But the best ticket might be Pieper versus Liberty Hill on Thursday at Lehman High School. That could be a five-set blood bath. Region IV in 5A is top-heavy, and the winner of Pieper-Liberty Hill will likely meet the winner of Cedar Park-Boerne Champion in the regional final.
Q: Which teams are peaking at the right time?
Adams: McCallum closed the season with big wins over Bastrop and Ann Richards. Lexi Rosenblatt is one of the area’s best utility players, and Piper Adair is an emerging star. They have a tough draw against Hendrickson, but if they win, they could make a solid run.
Leander is another. The Lions have a winnable first-round game against Smithson Valley, and if they advance, the path looks favorable until a possible regional final matchup with New Braunfels.
Q: What’s the best story heading into the playoffs?
Adams: Marble Falls making the playoffs for the first time since 2009 is a great story. The Mustangs compete in one of the toughest 4A districts in the state. Legacy Ranch also deserves mention for qualifying in its first varsity season. The Wranglers have a winnable first-round matchup against Canyon Lake.
Q: Who are some players to keep an eye on?
Adams: Henley Anderson at Dripping Springs could have a special postseason. She is one of the top high school players in the country, and it would be a fitting story if she led the Tigers to state before joining the Texas Longhorns.
Others to watch include Riley Malloy at Austin High, Jennavee Jensen at Vista Ridge, Lilli Sandoval, Cameron Thames and Trinity Laney at Wimberley, Gentry Barker at Lake Travis, and Joy Udoye and Mya Cheatum at Cedar Park.
I could go on-and-on, but
Q: Who is on upset watch in the first round?
Adams: Austin High, and I’m not joking. The Maroons are 1-4 in their last five first-round playoff games. Vista Ridge tends to play up to its competition, which could make this interesting. Jensen, who is headed to UTEP to play beach volleyball, is a difference maker. If she has a big night, Vista Ridge could pull off the upset.
Q: Has Austin finally caught up to Dallas and Houston?
Adams: Not quite, but the division split helps bring the Austin area into the conversation. South Central Texas is a volleyball hotbed, especially in the smaller classifications, with programs like Salado, Davenport, Wimberley and Johnson City.
In the top two classifications, Dallas schools won two state titles last year, Houston won one, and the Austin area went 0-1 in 6A and 5A.
Q: Which unsung players could make the biggest impact this postseason?
Adams: Marlee Lightsley at Comal Canyon will be key in helping the Cougars reach the late rounds. Parker Featherstone at Round Rock, Hannah Griffin at Liberty Hill, Olivia Theis at Pieper, Chloe and Clayton Kelly at Westlake, and Kingsley Minus at New Braunfels could also play major roles.
Q: Which team is being overlooked but could be dangerous?
Adams: Dripping Springs. It sounds odd to call the Tigers overlooked with Anderson on the roster, but they finished fourth in District 26-6A, and few people expect them to make a deep run. That makes them dangerous.
Dripping Springs has a favorable draw and won’t face Austin High or Harlan until the regional finals. They’ll have tough early-round matchups with Vandegrift and possibly Canyon, but if they get rolling, a surprise run is possible.
