Kayla Lopez not quite ready to stop swinging for Rouse High School volleyball

CEDAR PARK — For those fans and foes not in the know, Rouse senior Kayla Lopez sure looks like a defensive specialist even without the colored libero jersey. Lopez stands just 5 feet, 5 inches, and her fast footwork and quick hands seem ideal for the back row during pregame warmups.

But keep watching once the players line up to take some swings before the match. Watch Lopez spring from the floor and watch her blur of an arm swing explode through the ball. She's a natural terminator who rarely leaves a rotation, as evidenced by her 1,285 kills, 143 aces and 1,647 digs in a prep career that stretches back to her freshman season.

“Kayla has been doing Kayla things since she walked into the gym as a freshman,” longtime Rouse coach Jacob Thompson said after Lopez helped the Raiders remain perfect in District 25-5A play Tuesday with a 25-23, 25-15, 25-19 win over Cedar Park. “And she’s developed such versatility as a player, knowing (the offense) is not all on her shoulders. She really can do it all.”

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That versatility proved appealing to plenty of college coaches, who envision Lopez as a defensive anchor. She has committed to San Jose State, where she’s expected to compete for immediate playing time as a libero next season despite her offensive achievements at Rouse.

“I’m going to miss (playing at outside hitter) a lot, but I love playing defense and serve-receive,” she said. “I love being on the back row as much as I do the front row, but I will definitely miss it. It’s been such a big thing for me and such a big part of my life. I’ve worked on being (a hitter) for as long as I can remember.”

But here’s the catch: Lopez has played at the pin her entire life, and her ability to terminate balls from a variety of angles might be too tempting for San Jose State coach Trent Kersten to pass up.

“I’ve talked with Coach Kersten, and he’s recruiting Kayla as a utility player,” Thompson said. “She (hits) with such confidence. She’s just got to learn that she’s not going to overpower someone. Even at the high school level, she doesn’t overpower everyone, but she has such a variety of shots, she’s hard to stop.”

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Cedar Park senior Dylan Gilkey, a fellow San Jose State pledge and one of the top setters in the state, has known about Lopez since the two began competing against each other in everything from volleyball to track and field in middle school. But when the two joined up on the same club team last summer, she finally got to know Lopez beyond the court.

“I mean, she’s like the most friendly human you‘ll ever meet,” Gilkey said. “We always respected each other while competing against each other, but I’ve found out she’s an amazing girl.”

But will Gilkey be giving or receiving passes with Lopez next season?

“She can definitely play (hitter) at the next level,” Gilkey said. “She finds a way to defy gravity; she jumps outside the ceiling. The thing is, everyone isn’t used to blocking someone like that. You almost have to wait a couple of seconds, unlike if you’re blocking someone who just goes up and hammers the ball. She’s hard to defend.”

Before Lopez and Gilkey team up in San Jose, however, both want to meet up again late in the playoffs. Cedar Park (17-16 overall, 2-2 in District 25-5A) has lots of potential surrounding Gilkey, including promising 6-2 freshman Joy Udoye, who hammered a team-high nine kills against Rouse. The Timberwolves took district co-leader Liberty Hill to five sets last week and seem like a favorite to reach the playoffs.

Rouse (26-8, 4-0) will get its chance to seize sole possession of first place in the district race when it hosts Liberty Hill on Friday. The balanced Raiders had five players with at least five kills against Cedar Park, and setter Savannah Skopal leads the state with 1,055 assists.

When prompted, Gilkey gave her opinion about the first-place showdown Friday between the Raiders and Liberty Hill.

“Two good teams,” she said. “Rouse is just so well-coached. They’re a machine. I think they’ll pull out the win.”