August 14, 2002 — Want to find the best volleyball player in Texas? You can look in the gyms around Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. You can even travel all the way to Amarillo or El Paso and you'll find plenty of talented players - some of the best in the nation, in fact. But if you want to find the very best player in Texas this year, you have to head to the Piney Woods of East Texas. That's where you'll find Amber McCray of Class 4A Longview Pine Tree. The explosive 6'1" All-America left-hander headlines our 2002 All-Texas Team.

The team was selected in consultation with high school, club and college coaches as well media and recruiters. As you would expect, it's a tall team -- only three of the 12 players are under 6'0". It's also talented and athletic. The eight seniors are headed to places like Florida, Arizona, Virginia, San Diego and UNC-Charlotte. Not all of them are going outside the state, however. There are verbal commitments to Texas and A&M.

Of course these weren't easy selections. As the popularity of the sport increases, more and more athletes are selecting volleyball over basketball and other sports. And thanks to the proliferation of clubs across the state, the skill level is dramatically increasing. Many of the girls in the Honorable Mention and Player To Watch categories were given careful consideration. But the final decisions have been made and here is a look at the 2002 All-Texas Team. Click here to go to the list

ON THE OUTSIDE

Considered one of the top 5 recruits in the nation, Amber McCray has been on the volleyball radar screen since exploding onto the club scene at the age of 8. McCray is big and strong. She can leap out of the gym and her kills have that "pop" that make people stop and take notice. She has already earned multiple All-State and All-America honors, and she has competed internationally as a member of the USA Youth and Junior National Teams. What's missing is a 4A state title, which has eluded Pine Tree the past two seasons, and that is at the top of her wish list.

Houston, as usual, has more than its fair share of top players and two of the best will likely face off more than once this year -- fiery redhead Lindsay Osco of Elkins and Stratford's smooth yet explosive Millicent Martin. The two 6-footers both pack a punch that can stagger opponents. Martin is considered the more versatile of the two, capable of playing almost any position and will adapt her game to the opponent. Osco, on the other hand, is more likely to go to the heat regardless of who is on the other side of the net.

Ryan Maspero, heading to the University of San Diego, is a big reason that Churchill is expected to rule San Antonio this season. As Bexar County foes found out this past spring, the 6-footer delivers a heavy ball that is hard to stop.

Michael Faulkner of Austin private school power St. Michael's Academy is only a junior, but the broad-shouldered Faulkner is capable of frustrating opponents with a mixture power and precision. She leads a team loaded with talent and will get a chance to display her skills nationally when St. Michael's travels to Chicago for the Nike Invitational.

At 5'8", Amarillo's Jackie Stroud is the shortest player on the team, but she more than makes up for it with a vertical that approaches 30". Stroud, a three-year starter for one of the state's premier programs, was on track to be one of the state's best players in 2001. Surgery for a tumor eating into the bone of her left knee cut her season short, however. She is regaining her spring after spending the summer recuperating and, of course, there was never any fear that she would lose her power.

THE MIDDLES

It goes without saying that middles have to be big and strong to play at the highest level and that describes this year's group. Because she played the past few seasons in El Paso, Enobong Ibok may not be as well-known as a lot of the players. Recruiters at Arizona had no trouble finding the 6'3" powerhouse, however. Considered a pure, raw talent, Enobong (pronounced Anabong) comes from a family of athletes and participated in USAV's A-2 program. She had reportedly considered skipping her senior high school season to concentrate on club, but has relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth Worth area and plans to play high school this season.

Christi Hahn, Leander's 6'1" hammer has some unfinished business -- helping her team chase a state title -- before heading to A&M next fall. Tough and physical, like her sister (a sophomore middle at UT), Hahn also delivers a heavy ball and has dished out more than her share of punishment to high school and club foes the past few seasons.

The "baby" of the middles, is 6'2" junior Brittany Randel of Arlington. Randel was Dallas-Fort Worth's sophomore of the year last season and also trained with the A-2 program. She spent the club season playing against older, more experienced players in the 18s division and working on weights. Coaches who have worked with her say she is extremely coachable and mature for her age, and she is capable of dominating matches at the high school level this fall.

THE SETTERS

The state of Texas is loaded with talented setters, but our three All-Texas selections were mentioned time and time again. At 6'2" and still growing, senior Jenny Andrew of Kingwood repeatedly draws praise for the way she glides across the court with an ease rarely seen by players her height. She has a soft touch to go with her size and best of all, she's staying in Texas. She'll become a Longhorn next year.

As a sophomore last year, Houston Stratford's Michelle Moriarty took her team to the brink of a state championship and ran Houston Juniors' top 18s team during the club season. She also was a member of the USA Youth National Team -- and she still has two seasons to go. Savvy and strong, she is the primary reason Stratford is ranked so highly in the national and statewide polls.

Fans around Austin have known about Meghan Kainz, but after being named to the 16-Open all tournament team at the JO's in Salt Lake this past July, the rest of the nation now knows about the versatile junior setter from Westlake. At 6'1" she is tall and quick, and as a middle-turned-setter she can be physical when needed. This should be her breakout season.

THE (ALMOST) FORGOTTEN DEFENDER

Unlike the clubs and colleges, Texas high schools don't use a libero...yet. Had we selected a player for the position it would gone to Stephanie Figgers. The 5'4" defensive specialist from Houston James Taylor and Texas Tornados is being recruited by D1 schools and proves that good things can come in small packages.