Cari Spears, daughter of NFL’s Marcus Spears, commits to Texas
AUSTIN, Texas (BVM) – Cari Spears was basically born to be a world-class athlete. The Plano Prestonwood junior volleyball star is the daughter of former nine-year NFL veteran Marcus Spears and former WNBA first-round pick Aiysha Spears. Given her elite athletic bloodlines, it comes as no surprise that the 6-foot-3 outside hitter has become one of the best players in the Class of 2025.
This high standing earned Cari attention from numerous programs across the country, but she ultimately decided to stay close to home with the reigning national champion Texas Longhorns. The volleyball star announced her commitment to the Longhorns on Wednesday.
After moving to Texas last year, Cari quickly established herself as the best player in the Lone Star State. During her sophomore year, Cari amassed 544 kills and 225 digs to go with 50
aces and 65 blocks, posting a .477 hitting percentage and .602 kill percentage on the attack while helping the Lions to a 40-1 record and a Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state championship.
With her dominant play, Cari was named the TAPPS Player of the Year, the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year, VolleyballMag Texas Player of the Year, Gatorade Texas Girls Volleyball Player of the Year and a MaxPreps First-Team All-American. She is also a member of the under-19 U.S. National Team, proving her ability among the best in the country. The outside hitter also ranks No. 3 in the nation in the junior class by PrepVolleyball.com.
Texas is coming off of a fantastic 2022 season. Last year, the Longhorns finished with a 28-1 overall record and a national championship, the team’s fourth overall and first since 2012. The Longhorns are currently 9-3 this season and are ranked No. 8 in the AVCA Poll.
Cari’s father Marcus was a solid player during his time in the NFL, spending eight of his nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. During his time in Dallas, Marcus recorded 226 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 13 pass deflections and 10 sacks in 119 games with 89 starts.
Cari’s mother Aiysha was also a good player during her time in the WNBA. She averaged 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 60 games with five starts over two seasons with the Washington Mystics.
Before Cari heads to Austin, she will finish her time with the Lions. After helping the team to a state title last year, Cari will look to help Plano Prestonwood repeat as champions as she continues to rack up individual accolades. That is exciting news for Longhorns fans who will be able to closely watch the standout outside hitter over the next couple of seasons.
