Queens of the Court: Southlake Varsity Volleyball | Jodi Gaines

When you hear of Southlake, Texas, you undoubtedly think of the football team. And if football is King in Texas, volleyball is the Queen. Here's why I'm confident North Texas is the capital of volleyball in Texas and the United States of America. The pipeline to professional volleyball starts early in a players life. Most young girls start playing with their friends by the age of 8 with the strongest competition growing into competitive varsity and club athletes. In 2025, Southlake Lady Dragon Volleyball, lead by head coach Leslie Jackson, won state for the 6A DII UIL division. Neighboring school Byron Nelson has ranked No.1 nationally for the last two seasons, took home a state title in 2025 after a historic undefeated season. All of these players, along with other strong North Texas high school players from top ranking teams like Keller, Allen, Plano East, Highland Park, Lake Highlands, Celina, and Caddo Mills, pour into the active club volleyball scene. The three club teams that you consistently see topping the Open National charts? TAV, MadFrog, and Skyline. There are many more in the Metroplex, but these three have dominated the club scene for over a decade. Beyond high school and club volleyball, Texas has some of the best NCAA programs in the country. Here locally, you have TCU, SMU, UNT, and our other big names are University of Texas and Texas A&M. Texas A&M just had a Cinderella story and took home the national championship last season. Looking ahead to the 2026 season, UT, A&M, and SMU are all ranked in the Top 10 NCAA teams to watch. When we're talking about the professional leagues in the US, Dallas Pulse won the 2026 MLV Championship and LOVB Austin won the 2025 & 2026 LOVB Championships. Many of the players in Southlake, Trophy Club, and Dallas-Fort Worth have gone on to help these notorious clubs and colleges bring home championships. The pipeline starts right here in the DFW Metroplex and feeds all the way to the professional leagues. If you want your student athlete to train, grow, and compete with the best in volleyball, move your family to Southlake - and call me when you're ready! Jodi Gaines, Southlake REALTOR® (817) 865-7575