Kingwood Park stood tall as the lone state champion from Houston in 2018.
Originally Appeared on VYPE
It is time to rank the best in the city of Houston.
VYPE starts with Class 5A and that is where the defending state champions reside. Last year, Kingwood Park started the season as VYPE's No.1 team in 5A and eventually went on to win the Class 5A State Championship.
So, for 2019, of course, VYPE starts the year ranking Kingwood Park as the No.1 team in the land.
Check out the rest of the Top 10 below as VYPE ranks the best Class 5A volleyball teams in Houston.
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1) Kingwood Park
Kingwood Park stood tall as the lone state champion from Houston in 2018. The Panthers made their first-ever trip to the UIL State Volleyball Tournament and shocked the land by knocking off Lucas Lovejoy in a sweep. Now, the target is firmly on the back of Kingwood Park heading into 2019. The Panthers do return solid pieces, including senior Libby Overmyer, who was named the 5A State Championship Game MVP. Overmyer (Colgate-commit) finished with a team-leading 391 kills and a second-best 290 digs. FULL TEAM PREVIEW COMING SOON!
2) Friendswood
The move down from Class 6A to 5A really paid dividends for all sports at Friendswood, especially volleyball. The crew led by Sarah Paulk reached the Regional Finals for the first time since 2013 and finished the year with a 33-15 record after falling to eventual state champion Kingwood Park. Being so close to a state tourney berth has lit a fire within the Friendswood returners. The group is led by Ashlyn Svoboda, who was the GHVCA Player of the Year, TGCA All-State selection and District 22-5A MVP as a sophomore. Svoboda recorded 18 double-doubles last season and led the team with 349 kills and 388 digs. Holding down the middle will be Makensy Manbeck (Houston Baptist-commit). FULL TEAM PREVIEW COMING SOON!
Catch the rest of the rankings here
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The Houston Rockets face a major test Friday night as they host the Oklahoma City Thunder, who enter the matchup riding an 11-game road winning streak.
Houston (50-27) sits second in the Western Conference and has been dominant on the boards, leading the conference with 48.8 rebounds per game behind Alperen Sengun’s 10.5 per contest. The Rockets have also been red-hot, winning eight of their last ten while averaging 122.1 points per game.
The Thunder (64-12) hold the best record in the West and have been nearly unstoppable, winning 10 straight overall while outscoring opponents by nearly 20 points per game in that stretch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play at an MVP level, averaging 32.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Houston will need a big night from Jalen Green, who’s averaging 21.5 points, to keep pace with an OKC team that ranks among the league’s best in efficiency on both ends. The Thunder’s ability to limit turnovers and their defensive pressure could be a deciding factor.
With playoff seeding on the line, expect an intense battle between the top two teams in the West.
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