Panthers mastering new system at net
St. Pius X ready to make big leap into contention this fall
St. Pius X head volleyball coach Justyna Brewczyk is ambitious and she’s not afraid to challenge her players.
Brewcyzk, a former Rice University standout, has made major changes to help her team maximize its potential.
“We’re running a collegespeed offense now,” Brewczyk said. “We’re throwing a lot of new things at them, but they have the talent and experience to handle the faster pace of play.”
Once the Panthers master the system, Brewcyzk believes St. Pius X can contend for the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 6A state title.
“We’re incredibly athletic and we have the size and quickness,” Brewcyzk said. “We don’t always get the pick of the litter at St. Pius X, but this year’s team is exceptional.”
St. Pius X returns nearly every major contributor from last year’s squad, which placed third in district behind TAPPS Class 6A-District 3 foes St. Agnes and Tomball Concordia and finished with an 18-8 record.
“We did pretty well last year. We went 8-4 in district and all of our losses were to St. Agnes and Concordia,” Brewczyk said. “We only graduated two seniors. Nearly everyone is back, so the expectations are a lot higher.”
Senior Kayla Black, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, is one of the many veterans with championship aspirations. Black is a returning second-team all-state performer.
“Kayla transferred to St. Pius X from College Park two years ago and she plays year-round on a club team in The Woodlands,” Brewcyzk said. “Kayla is a six-rotation player and is just as effective on the front row as the back row. She’s a leader on the court.”
The other outside hitter is 5-11 sophomore Sarah Dickson, a youngster with huge potential.
“Sarah is only 15 years old, but she already has a lot of volleyball experience,” Brewczyk said. “Sarah went to a High Performance Camp for elite players. She also played of lot of beach volleyball and has improved her placement. She’s really smart with her shots.”
The middle blockers are 5-10 senior Marjani Myles and 5-11 senior Lauren Langdon.
“Marjani is super-fast and is a big presence at the net,” Brewcyzk said. “Lauren has always had the power, but she’s worked on her control. Having Marjani and Lauren up front really helps our defense.”
St. Pius X also features a sister duo in Katie and Karli Stewart that is second to none.
Katie Stewart, a 5-10 senior, starts at right side hitter, while Karli Stewart, a 5-7 junior, handles the setter duties.
“Having the Stewarts on the right side is a real strength,” Brewczyk said. “Katie is a left-handed hitter and can put the ball away. We’re able to play with one setter because Karli blocks so well. The sisters mesh because they’ve been playing together for so long.”
All six players earned all-district honors a year ago.
The lone newcomer is 5-6 junior Jet Walls, the leading candidate at libero.
“Jet played junior varsity last year,” Brewczyk said. “Jet has been really open-minded and hardworking. She should help us defensively and at outside hitter.”
Also filling in when needed are 5-9 senior Sarah McMillan and 5-9 junior Danielle Blakey, both utility players, and 5-7 junior middle blocker Zoe Stoneham.
“Sarah keeps everyone loose and relaxed. She’s always cracking jokes, but she gets serious when she needs to,” Brewczyk said. “Danielle and Zoe are rising juniors who should play a lot.”
St. Pius X, which met Emery/Weiner in the opener earlier this week, will compete at the Border Wars Tournament, hosted by TAPPS, this week in Tyler. The two-day tournament on Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, brings together teams from Texas and Oklahoma.