"There are a ton of good players, but very few show-stoppers," Mitchell said after winning the program's third straight TAPPS Class 6A state championship. "She jumps off the page and explodes on the court.
"It’s an easy pick. She’s the best player. Everyone knows the ball is going to her and it doesn't matter. She’s going to beat you."
After leading Prestonwood Christian to a 37-2 record and No. 3 national ranking, Spears is the 2024 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.
The daughter of former Dallas Cowboy defensive end Marcus Spears and former WNBA player Aiysha (Smith) Spears, Macaria has rounded out her skill set as a six-rotation weapon since coming to Texas after winning a state title in Virginia as a freshman. She led the Lions this season in kills with 649 (6.2 per set) and a .428 hit percentage, as well as team-high marks in both aces (44) and blocks (89) to go along with 276 digs.
Committed to Texas, Spears leaves high school as a four-time state champion and someone Mitchell said should be the face of college volleyball in the coming years.
"There are lot of players with gaudy stats, but don’t win," Mitchell said. "She’s been in top 10 rankings and won state titles all four years."
That success extends to the club scene, where she has been part of multiple national championship teams and even served as an assistant coach for a team of 13-year olds that captured a national title.
"The proof is in the pudding," Mitchell said. "Every team she's been on is a winner."
Macaria Spears led Prestonwood Christian to three straight TAPPS state titles and finished this season with 649 kills. (Photo: Jann Hendry)
The 10-time state champion coach said Spears' development as a player and person has grown exponentially since she came to Prestonwood.
"I don't think she was ready for it," Mitchell said of national accolades laid upon Spears starting in her sophomore season. "The development she's taken on in the past few years is amazing. She's gone from 'I can see ball and hit it hard' to 'I see where defense is playing and will find the hole.' "
Mitchell said the maturation came full circle when after winning a club championship, Spears asked if she could help coach his 13-year-old team.
"She said she wanted to know the game better from a coaching perspective, be around me a little more and give back to the game," Mitchell said. "And when we got to nationals, she's got the huddle in between sets as I'm turning in the lineup."
That additional outlook on the game paid dividends during Prestonwood's season as the usual coach-player interactions became more pee-to-peer.
"It became more of a dialogue, like a conversation of 'Are you seeing this?' " he said.
Mitchell said her upbringing and being the child of two athletes who have reached the pinnacle of their sports also plays a big part in how Spears approaches the game.
"She’s seen that all her life and that’s in her DNA, that desire for competition and competitiveness. It's very evident," Mitchell said. "They are supportive and let me coach and the only thing they've ever said is 'You let us know if Cari isn’t giving us what you need on and off the court.' They want her to be coached hard and she wants to be coached hard.
"The best athletes thrive in those arenas where they're going to be coached and challenged. She's in a class of her own."
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year
2008 — Lauren Cook, Pius X (Lincoln, Neb.)
2009 — Rachel Williams, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
2010 — Tiffany Baker, Hebron (Carrollton, Texas)
2011 — Nicole Dalton, Chaparral (Parker, Colo.)
2012 — Amber Rolfzen/Kadie Rolfzen, Papillion LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.)
2013 — Courtney Eckenrode, The Woodlands (Texas)
2014 — Alexis Smith, Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Colo.)
2015 — Nicole Peterson, Jesuit (Portland, Ore.)
2016 — Lexi Sun, Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach, Calif.)
2017 — Erin O'Leary, Novi (Mich.)
2018 — Kenzie Knuckles, Yorktown (Ind.)
2019 — Paige Flickinger, Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas)
2020 — No award due to pandemic
2021 — Elia Rubin, Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.)
2022 — Julia Blyashov, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.)
2023 — Lauren Harden, Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)
