Since the departure of Chloe Collins following the 2016 season, Texas has seen plenty of shuffling at the setter position. Ashley Shook took over the reigns in 2017 and started for most of 2018 too, before losing her spot to then-freshman Jhenna Gabriel, who remains the starter for the Longhorns as they work their way through the 2019 NCAA Tournament. 

The Naomi Cabello File

Position: Setter

Height: 6-1 

Hometown: Clermont, Florida

High School: East Ridge

Club: Top Select

College Commitment: Texas

Could Under Armour First-Team High School All-American setter Naomi Cabello of Clermont, Florida, be Texas’ next four-year starting setter? At 6-1, the high school senior brings significantly more height to the position than the 5-8 Gabriel, a fact that is not lost on Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott.

“Naomi is one we saw at a young age, and we followed her growth,” Elliott said. “We think she moves really well and sets at a very, very high and disciplined level. She brings some size to our team at the setter position, and we are excited to get her in and start competing.”

Watch Naomi Cabello in action at the 2019 Under Armour High School All-America Match, streaming live right here on FloVolleyball, Dec. 31 at 7 PM ET.

Elliott and his staff identified Cabello early in her career, scoring a commitment from the setter when she was only a high school freshman. Three years later, Cabello ranks sixth in the Class of 2020, according to PrepVolleyball, and this season at East Ridge High School, she averaged 7.7 assists per set, 1.4 digs per set, and 0.6 blocks per set, in addition to racking up 63 aces and averaging 1.5 kills per set, hitting .548.

Cabello’s mother, Mayra Cuebas, has coached her throughout her volleyball career, including at East Ridge, where Cabello was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time team MVP. Cuebas, a native of Puerto Rico, played middle blocker for the University of Puerto Rico and then played in the Puerto Rican pro league after graduation.

Fun fact: Current Minnesota opposite Stephanie Samedy, a two-time First Team AVCA All-American and, of course, an Under Armour First Team High School All-American, also went to East Ridge High School. Samedy and Cabello were both members of the East Ridge squad in 2016, Cabello’s freshman year.