BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
No matter what sport or season you’re in – there’s going to be a group of players always talked about and in multiple rankings. There’s also a group that’s highly overlooked and underrated. In her fourth varsity season, Paityn Winters is among the more underrated players in the DFW metroplex.
Really coming on to the volleyball scene since her sophomore year, her hard work and journey finally paid off when she announced her commitment to D2 powerhouse Dallas Baptist University.
Winters began her high school career as just a defensive specialist during her freshman year with the Burleson Centennial Spartans. She finished with 221 digs, 59 assists and 26 aces in 98 sets played as the team won 29 games and reached the area round.
She was voted all-district honorable mention, but took a step forward in 2022 as a sophomore as second team all-district. However, the team struggled mightily with a 12-32 overall record and 6-10 district.
But for Winters, it was a better look for her as she went from being primarily a defender to now a 6-2 setter and playing both in the middle and on the outside as a hitter. She finished with 642 assists, 162 kills and 270 digs in 130 sets played.
The county noticed her efforts as well as she was named the All-Johnson County all-area team and Team Offensive MVP.
Winters continued to get better and better as she had a career year in 2023 as a junior. She was all-district Co-Setter Of The Year, Team MVP and All-Country Utility MVP after registering 702 assists, 253 kills, 389 digs and 58 aces – all career highs.
She played a big role in helping the Spartans to a historic season that included a district championship, 30 wins and multiple season records.
Winters is off to a strong senior year already with multiple triple doubles and Centennial posting a 22-7 overall record.
Meanwhile, DBU is among the top D2 colleges in the country. The Patriots went 24-8 overall and 14-2 in conference last season. This fall, they are off to a 6-2 start. Naturally, DBU is a hot bed for local talent as this year’s roster features seven players from DFW high schools.
