Dripping Springs' Henley Anderson headlines our All-Central Texas volleyball team (again!)

The All-Central Texas volleyball team for the 2023 season, honoring the best of the best of Austin-area players and teams:

Player of the year: Henley Anderson, Dripping Springs

Anderson was our 2022 co-player of the year as a freshman, and the sophomore won it outright this season after recording 717 kills, averaging 4.8 per set, to lead Dripping Springs to the Class 6A regional finals. Playing a difficult schedule and drawing double and triple blocks, Anderson was still phenomenal. She also had 51 blocks, 395 digs and 60 aces. Also considered — Westlake's Lily Davis, Lake Travis' Avery Hamlin and Wimberley's Laney Hennessee.

Newcomer of the year: Allie Hudgins, Westlake

Hudgins, a 6-foot-4, six-rotation freshman standout, was District 26-6A's newcomer of the year after leading Westlake with 55 blocks while pounding out 466 kills on a .201 hitting efficiency. She had 56 service aces and 346 digs and was instrumental in leading the Chaparrals to the area finals. Also considered — Vista Ridge's Jennavee Jensen, Ann Richards' Noah Morris and Austin High's Camille Presley.

Coach of the year: Marie Bruce, Liberty Hill

Bruce, a veteran coach in her second season with the Panthers, already had an impressive résumé with Glenn, Austin High and Cedar Ridge but has led Liberty Hill to back-to-back state tournaments. In 2022, the Panthers fell in the Class 5A semifinals, but this season they crushed defending state champion Colleyville Heritage to advance to the state title match, where they fell to nine-time state champion Lucas Lovejoy. Bruce, who's 88-20 in her first two years, will return five starters next year as well as her libero. Also considered — Wimberley's Stephanie Barthels, Lake Travis' Brandace Boren and Dripping Springs' Michael Kane.

First team

Setter: Takyla Brown, jr., Weiss: The 12-6A MVP, who is committed to LSU, notched 1,157 assists, 66 kills, 57 aces, 25 blocks and 382 digs for the area finalists, who went 28-9. For her career, she's got 2,489 assists, 842 digs, 288 kills and 149 aces.

More: 17 years later, Matt Nader saved a life at a Westlake football game — what are the chances?

Middle blocker: Morgan Houston, sr., Round Rock: The 25-6A MVP averaged 2.8 kills per set while hitting .369 and amassing 376 kills along with 86 blocks and 294 digs. The Dragons won the district title.

Middle blocker: Jadyn Wilgus, sr., Rouse: The two-time all-state selection led the Raiders to the regional finals with 495 kills, 59 blocks, 72 aces and 119 digs. She'll graduate early and enroll at Arizona State for the spring semester.

Outside hitter: Henley Anderson, soph., Dripping Springs: Our two-time Austin-area player of the year led the Tigers with 717 kills and 395 digs as they reached the Region IV-6A finals.

Outside hitter: Lily Davis, jr., Westlake: The 26-6A MVP had 634 kills, 535 digs and 62 aces for the Chaparrals. The six-rotation player is committed to Texas for beach volleyball.

Outside hitter: Gigi Mason, sr., Liberty Hill: The two-time All-Central Texas selection finished with 391 kills and 107 blocks for the Class 5A state runner-up Panthers. She has signed with Vanderbilt.

Libero: Reese Emerick, sr., Westlake: The Texas signee was 26-6A's defensive MVP with 675 digs (an average of 5.0 per set) and 53 aces.

Utility: Avery Hamlin, sr., Lake Travis: Hamlin, who is headed to Duke, is a two-time all-state and all-area selection. The four-year starter finished her career with 853 assists, 1,152 digs and 1,279 kills and led the Cavaliers to back-to-back district championships. She had 487 kills this season.

Second team

Setter: Savannah Skopal, sr., Rouse: Headed to Rice, Skopal capped her career with 1,586 assists, 386 digs, 157 kills, 74 aces and 70 blocks this season. The three-time all-area and four-time all-state selection had 5,553 career assists.

Middle blocker: Carrington Jaimes, sr., Lake Travis: The three-year starter had 289 kills and an overall hitting percentage of .367 while leading the Cavaliers to consecutive district titles and the regional finals.

Middle blocker: Lusia Langi, sr., Hays: The Utah Tech signee and three-year starter finished her career with 359 blocks — a school record — and led the Hawks to the playoffs this year, hitting .377 with 39 aces and 110 blocks.

Outside hitter: Jazmine Gaston, sr., Anderson: The all-district selection had 433 kills this season and finished her career with 85 blocks, 110 assists, 691 digs and 785 kills while playing all six rotations.

Outside hitter: Laney Hennessee, jr., Wimberley: A three-year starter who is committed to Alabama, Hennessee helped lead the Texans to the regional finals, slamming 525 kills while hitting .311 with 385 digs and 54 aces.

Outside hitter: Riley Malloy, soph., Austin High: The Maroons' 6-4 six-rotation standout notched 387 kills, a team-high 41 aces and 258 digs.

Libero: Alondra Garcia, sr., Ann Richards: The Stars' team captain was an all-district selection with 24 service aces and 173 assists.

Utility: Kylee Bagley, sr., Stony Point: District 25-6A's setter of the year is a four-year starter who hit .300 this season and recorded 439 kills, 101 blocks, 442 digs and 35 aces with 488 assists.

Third team

Setter: Morgan Warren, sr., Hendrickson: She averaged 9.3 assists per set with 59 aces and 306 digs.

Middle blocker: Simone Baskin, jr., Bowie: The all-district pick had 161 kills and 88 digs.

Middle blocker: Greta Carlson, jr., McCallum: District 24-5A's most valuable hitter led the Knights to the playoffs.

Outside hitter: Alex Beauchamp, sr., Vandegrift: District 25-6A's impact player of the year had 512 kills, 412 digs and 20 aces.

Outside hitter: Mora Mooney, sr., St. Michael's: She had 723 kills, hit .411, had 55 blocks and added 473 digs as she earned TAPPS all-state honors.

Outside hitter: Annie Witt, jr., Liberty Hill: The state finalists' team MVP had 407 kills, 23½ blocks, 477 digs and 23 aces.

Libero: Raegan Ramirez, jr., Georgetown: She had 868 digs (a school record) and 72 aces for the co-district champions.

Utility: Riley Clinton, sr., Round Rock: Her 309 kills, 442 digs, five aces and .282 hitting percentage helped her earn honorable mention all-state.

Honorable mention

Anderson — Parker Duncan, Madeline Stuesser; Ann Richards — Noah Morris; Austin High — Harper Luthy, Camille Presley; Cedar Park — Joy Udoye; Cedar Ridge — Faith Reynolds; Dripping Springs: Riley Certain, Ashley Euston, Sydney Lund; Georgetown — Addison Gaido; Glenn — Ava Wind; Hendrickson — Kamea Uitenham, Kara Wynn; Lake Travis — Adyson Davis, Kacey Kazmierski; LASA — Charlotte Quinn, Hadley Wright; Liberty Hill — Evie Bruce, Kealy Dirner, Ava Kostroun; McCallum — Rylee Hissey, Lexi Rosenblatt; Round Rock — Molly Cravens; Round Rock Christian — Chayse Wilson; Rouse — Jade Key, Naara Tanco; Stony Point — Carrie Weston; Thrall — Melaina Grissom; Vista Ridge — Jennavee Jensen; Weiss — Sara Randall; Westlake — Claire Wernli; Westwood — Rachel Cai, Julia Hopkins, Sahasra Mandalapu; Wimberley — Addison Parks, Jesse Weeks.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The 2023 All-Central Texas volleyball team for the Austin-area's best