Texas volleyball secures pledge from Macaria Spears, the No. 1 recruit for 2025 class
The Texas volleyball program aced a big recruiting test on Tuesday by securing a commitment from Macaria Spears, the consensus top-ranked recruit in the nation for the 2025 class.
A 6-foot-3-inch outside hitter and the reigning Gatorade Texas player of the year, Spears led Plano Prestonwood Christian in the Dallas area to a 40-1 record and a TAPPS 6A state title as a sophomore in 2022 while amassing 544 kills, 225 digs, 65 blocks and 50 aces. She fielded offers from virtually every powerhouse program in the nation.
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Spears’ commitment was announced by her club team, Texas Advantage Volleyball.
Spears has competed for the U.S. under-19 national team and is one of 15 players on the watch list for the MaxPreps 2023 national player of the year award.
Spears — the daughter of former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marcus Spears and former WNBA player Aiysha Spears — will be the latest UT volleyball player with professional family ties. Middle blocker Asjia O’Neal’s father, Jermaine O’Neal, is a former NBA All-Star while outside hitter Madisen Skinner’s father, Brian Skinner, also played in the NBA.
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Texas has already corralled commitments from several other members of the 2025 class, including two Austin-area products in Cedar Park libero Callie Krueger and Georgetown outside hitter Addison Gaido.
Krueger, a 5-foot-5 athlete, plays setter and libero for the Timberwolves but will likely serve in a defensive-only role for the Longhorns. Already a three-year starter for Cedar Park, she has amassed 1,397 career digs and 461 assists for a 24-15 team in the playoff hunt. She’s also a versatile athlete who plays goalie for Cedar Park's soccer team.
The 6-foot-5 Gaido, another three-year starter in high school, already has more than 1,000 career kills with a career hitting percentage of .414 for a powerhouse prep program that makes regular playoff appearances.
Texas coach Jerritt Elliott and his staff have also secured a 2025 pledge from yet another elite outside hitter in Abby Vander Wal, a 6-foot-3 junior at Timothy Christian High School in the Chicago area. Rated as the third-best prospect in the nation for her class by PrepDig, Vander Wal averaged 5.1 kills per set with a kill rate of 54.3% for a high school team that went 31-8 and reached the fourth round of its state playoffs in 2022. She also competed for the U.S. under-19 team at this past summer’s Pan American Cup in Puerto Rico.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Top 2025 volleyball recruit Macaria Spears picks Texas volleyball
