MISSOURI CITY – In a first-of-its-kind community celebration, Fort Bend ISD’s Ridge Point High School will welcome its first Hall of Fame class inductees Saturday night on campus.
High School volleyball is the most popular team sport in the nation, and the Ridge Point High School Volleyball Program (RPVB) has shown competitive excellence at an extraordinary level during its relatively short but impactful existence.
To celebrate the sustained success of the RPVB program, Ridge Point High School will be hosting an inaugural RPVB Hall of Fame Weekend 2023 on May 19 and 20. The weekend-long celebration will include a series of events that aim to honor the past, support the present, and inspire the future of the RPVB program.
“The success of the Ridge Point High School Volleyball Program is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our players, coaches, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members,” said Lauryn Bailey, head volleyball coach at Ridge Point. “We are thrilled to launch the Inaugural RPVB Hall of Fame Weekend 2023, which aims to honor our past, support our present, and inspire our future. We are excited to celebrate the amazing student-athletes who laid the foundation of our program and shine a light on the game of volleyball.”
The RPVB Hall of Fame Weekend aims to connect past and present RPVB players with the Fort Bend community while honoring the program’s rich history and inspiring future generations. Through a series of events, students and attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the game of volleyball, the RPVB Program, and the incredible student-athletes who bring it all to life.
Events will include:
May 19 | Reading with the Panthers: On Friday morning, RPVB Players & Legends will visit Title 1 FBISD elementary school, Heritage Rose Elementary, to read to students, promote literacy, and distribute take-home personal libraries in partnership with Books Between Kids.
May 19 | 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Stars vs Legends Charity Volleyball Match: On Friday evening, the current Ridge Point Volleyball Varsity team will compete against prestigious RPVB alumni in a charity volleyball match.
The match will be livestreamed by Texas Sports Productions on KPRC 2+, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the respective chosen charitable organizations of each team. Stars playing for Gigi’s Playhouse, and Legends playing for A Shelter For Cancer Families.
The autograph signing begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are available here.
May 20 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - The Future Panthers Youth Volleyball Camp: On Saturday morning, past and present RPVB players, along with USA Volleyball four-time Olympian Tara Cross Battle, Professional Volleyball player Taylor Bannister, and current RPVB Head Coach Lauryn Bailey, will host a half-day youth volleyball camp. (THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT)
May 20 | 7 p.m. Purple Carpet/VIP Reception 8pm - 11pm Induction Ceremony: Phenomenal Panthers Hall of Fame Induction Dinner: The weekend will conclude with a celebration of the past Panthers at the Phenomenal Panthers Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Saturday evening.
The event, hosted by KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy, will bring together business professionals, celebrities, influencers, philanthropists, and community members to celebrate and honor the exceptional careers of the inaugural RPVB Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
The induction dinner will honor the inaugural class of Hall of Fame inductees which consists of three exceptional women who have all earned All-American honors during their collegiate careers:
- Caitlyn Cooper: Ranked 29th overall by PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces, named District Newcomer of the Year in 2013 and District Offensive MVP in 2014, two-time NJCAA All-American at Iowa Western, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kentucky in 2019.
- Skylar Fields: Consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation out of Ridge Point High School, earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year and all-conference and all-region recognition during her freshman season at Texas. She was named 2022 AVCA 1st-Team All-America honors during her first season at the University of Southern California and plans on playing professionally after graduation.
- Reagan Rutherford: Two-time Greater Houston Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year, set and hit in a 6-2 for Ridge Point High School, over 3,000 Assists, over 1,500 digs and 1,298 kills during her career, won a National Championship as part of the 2020 Kentucky Volleyball squad, and earned AVCA 3rd-Team All-American honors at the conclusion of the 2022 season. -more- Along with these three honorees, 12 Hall of Fame finalists and the entire group of RPVB alumni will also be celebrated.
“As we currently stand, the accomplishments of this specific group of female student-athletes, and the overall achievements of the amazing program have gone relatively unheralded,” Bailey added. “With over 15% of our graduates going on to play D1 college volleyball, our sustained success is a result of steadfast program investment from our entire community. We are looking forward to connecting with the community, celebrating our program, honoring our past players, and inspiring our future champions.”
For more information on the RPVB Hall of Fame Weekend 2023 and to purchase tickets, please visit rpvbhof.com
