Wylie junior middle blocker Aubrey DeGrate (13) helped to lead her club team to a national title in the USA Junior Volleyball Nationals and last year was named the District 9-6A blocker of the year. Photo by Elijah Kloepping / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Aubrey DeGrate has won at every level that she has played during her volleyball career.
DeGrate led Cooper Junior High School to the district title in back-to-back seasons. Last season, DeGrate, a middle blocker for Wylie, helped to lead the Lady Pirates to a share of the District 9-6A title, their first playoff wins in four years and an appearance in the Region II-6A Division I regional semifinals. Earlier this summer, her club team, MadFrog 16’s N Green, won the national title in the 16U Open Division in the 2025 USA Volleyball Girls National Championship.
Yet, for as much success as she’s enjoyed, she is always looking to improve her skill set – especially blocking.
Fueled by the goals set for her by parents and coaches, DeGrate has shown a determination to follow through on them.
“They set a goal for me to get five blocks, 10 blocks a game,” she said.
DeGrate made Wylie’s varsity team as a freshman and was quick to make a good impression. She finished second on the team in blocks with 47, helping to lead the Lady Pirates to a 28-10 record and fifth straight postseason appearance. She said that the adjustment to playing at the varsity level wasn’t difficult, but she credited Class of 2025 graduates Annie Tucker, Karson Barclow and Sadie Jane Warren for making her feel comfortable in her role.
It was a sign of even better things to come for DeGrate.
Last season, DeGrate and Julia Hudgins formed one of the top middle blocking tandems in all of District 9-6A. Opposing players had a tough time hitting the ball around them. They combined for 156 blocks, including a team-high 82 stuffs by DeGrate – a big reason why Wylie finished with a 34-9 record and made the third round of the playoffs.
“We never had any drama, and everybody loved playing with each other,” DeGrate said. “We played together from the start. That’s how we were able to push through and get to the third round of the playoffs. I really loved playing with that team.”
DeGrate was named the district’s blocker of the year.
“My parents were happy, everybody was happy,” she said. “My parents and coaches set goals for me. That’s what helped me to achieve that.”
DeGrate is appreciative of the support system that she has surrounded herself with, especially when she’s had to battle through adverse situations.
She made Madfrog’s top team at her age level when she was 13 years old, saying the organization was one of the best in the state of Texas and how much it would help her to become a better player. However, there were times when she wasn’t getting a lot of playing time. But given the amount of talent on that team, which includes six NCAA Division I commits, she understood and accepted her role. She was OK with coming off the bench. It was with Madfrog where she understood how important it was to be a team player.
DeGrate was hopeful to receive more playing time this summer because she wanted to have college coaches evaluate and recruit her. That is why she plans on joining Dallas Premier Volleyball Club, which has won 12 national medals, and has a staff with 12 national medals, this year.
But when DeGrate received playing time with MadFrog, she made the most of her time on the court. MadFrog didn’t win a tournament prior to nationals, but everything came together for the squad in early July. MadFrog went 10-1 in their division, capped off by a 21-25, 25-23, 15-13 come-from-behind win over Arizona Storm 16 Thunder in the national championship game.
“It was really unbelievable,” she said. “People couldn’t believe that we won. It was just unreal. We finally played together as a team. Whole season we knew that we had it but just couldn’t push through.”
DeGrate is hopeful for similar success this season with her high school team.
Wylie lost four key starters from last season’s team to graduation. However, the Lady Pirates are expected to be one of the top contenders in District 9-6A, thanks in part to a talented junior class, which includes DeGrate. Her goal is to help lead the Lady Pirates on another extended postseason run.
“I feel like that I’m mentally tougher because I’ve been put in positions where I need to be mentally tough,” DeGrate said.
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