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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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.