Cobra signs with Houston Cougars

From left are, front, David Sappington, Nathan Sappington, Jon Alan Sappington, Dawn Sappington, Kerry Griffith, Carol Griffith, Kylann Griffith, Connor Griffith; and back, Mike Weixelman Sr., Mike Weixelman, Kayla Weixelman, Cheryl Weixelman, Tia Patton.

    Industrial Cobra senior Kayla Weixelman has committed to playing college volleyball at the University of Houston, and she said the sport wasn't something she was always good at. Standing at over six feet tall, one would assume playing front row middle as a spiker and blocker would come naturally, but she has worked hard to get where she's at, and has had amazing help along the way.
    She started off in seventh grade on the 'B' team and said her Cobra freshman coaches, Sandy Fellers and LaFawn Snedecor, believed in her and gave her the chance she needed and it took off from there. Her other high school Cobra coaches, Jamie Casarez, Donna Ragsdale and Jenna Treybig, also played a huge role in continuing to build her confidence and skill simultaneously.
    "I'd also been working really hard on my own as well, spending countless hours in the gym with lots of great coaches and great players," she said.
    Her non-UIL/club coaches have been Virginia Parsons, Chris Seilkop, and Milton Koller, her current volleyball club coach. She said those people have made extreme impacts on her volleyball career and the opportunities that have come from it.
    Her road to becoming a UH Cougar started this past summer. The Cobra team attended a camp at the University of Texas for volleyball, and one of the sessions consisted of individual work. Kayla went to the middle blocker/hitter courts like she'd been doing for the past three years, but it was different this time. She was being watched.
    Tonya Johnson, the UT assistant coach and recruiter, pulled Kayla aside and asked about her future plans. Not thinking she was referring to volleyball, Kayla answered honestly about UT being her mother's alma mater and probably attending there. But Johnson further questioned Kayla, this time specifically asking about where she'd want to play ball. Not completely self-aware of her talent and potential, Kayla said possibly a junior college, to which Johnson thought was low-balling.
    "She asked me if I could send out my information to all of her contacts, and I excitedly replied yes! If you would've asked me any time before that if I was going to play college ball, I would've answered, maybe at a junior college," Kayla said. "I just didn't believe I'd ever been good enough."
    Kayla went back to training at the camp, all the while more and more coaches began to take notice of her, and some were even making videos of her. She received many business cards that day, and her future college career was starting to become more clear.
    She just started her club practices this past weekend, and Kayla said Koller has already helped in more ways than she could imagine. He first saw her play at a TEXSTAR hitting camp in July and asked if she would play for him. When she said yes, he asked her to bring him a list of college she was considering.
    "Going home that night I was more excited and believed more than ever I could actually play college ball. Within two days of me responding that I would play for him this season, he'd already contacted three college about me," Kayla said. "Pretty soon we landed on UH after having visited other college campuses and teams."
    The Head Coach at UH, Kaddie Platt, said she needed to know her decision within a week, because most players commit to a college in their sophomore or junior year.
    "Talk about pressure! I understood why she needed a quick answer, it was her last full-ride scholarship available," she said. "After several nights of discussion, my parents and I decided it would be a great opportunity and it would be crazy for me to pass up.”
    After her verbal committment Kayla began getting congratulation texts from her UH coach and her future team, which made her all the more excited.
    "Everybody was so supportive and I'm so grateful to have the help I had in finding the right college. I will start in July of next summer and start classes to get ready for the fall season," she said. "A leader and senior, Courtney Smith, will be graduating and I will be taking her number (10) for my college career."
    Kayla said she is very thankful and looks up to all the people who've impacted her volleyball life. She said not a day passes that she doesn't think about what's happened and feels blessed to have received the opportunities she has.
    "Coach Parsons has pushed me, believed in me, and helped me improve my leadership skills exponentially. Coach Chris (Seilkop) has done countless private sessions with me and his experience and guidance has helped me so much, being that he played middle on an Olympic team and wants to bring that knowledge back to the community," she said. "His vast understanding of the technical aspect of the game has improved my speed, accuracy and power."
    Cobra Head Coach Jenna Treybig said she is very proud of Kayla. "She has a lot of knowledge about the game of volleyball. She took everything she knows and worked hard on developing her skill. She focused so much and wanted to improve in every game," she said. "She is passionate about the sport and it showed through her actions on the court."
    Kayla said she would like to thank all the people mentioned above, and all of her coaches, family and friends for their support, especially her uncle Jon and David Sappington of Sappington Farms in helping her with club costs over the years. She is the daughter of Cheryl and Mike Weixelman.
    "I wouldn't have been able to do any of the things I've done without their help, and I'm thankful for that," she said. "I look forward the most to getting to play with all the incredible players next year and having the opportunity to be coached by all the equally incredible coaches."