Senior Chenelle Walker (right) has come a long way in her four years as a Houston Cougar and was one of volleyball’s brightest stars. | Bryce Dodds/The Cougar

Stars get a lot of attention in athletics, but there are also key players that don’t get attention because they are overshadowed or their sport is not as popular.

Three of The Cougar’s writers decided to shine a light on several underrated athletes that deserve some recognition for their seasons.

Staff Writer Taylor Hawthorne

You constantly hear about star wide receiver Marquez Stevenson or Keith Corbin and for good reasons. The players have a combined 1,609 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. A key player to the Cougars’ success who isn’t always talked about, however, is junior receiver Courtney Lark.

Lark had 509 receiving yards on the season with five touchdowns before getting injured against USF.

The Cougars definitely missed him in the remaining games of the season, as he would have finished in top three for receiving yards if he kept up his pace.

Lark’s tall frame allowed him to get over the top of the defender, and his speed easily got him behind the defenders.

His ability to make himself an option helped the Cougars tremendously throughout the season.

Staff Writer Abenezer Yonas

My pick for the most surprising performance of the year goes to a defensive player that many have most likely left under the radar.

Sophomore linebacker David Anenih has been a hidden gem for the Cougar defense and has put up some pretty impressive numbers.

Even though he has yet to start a single game for UH, coming off the bench in all 12 of his appearances, the 6’3″ sophomore has more than held his own against his teammates.

He ranks third in tackles for loss with 6.5 for 36 yards, despite only putting up a total of 20 tackles all season.

In addition, he is tied for the third-most quarterback hurries on the team at four while being one of only nine defensive players to force a fumble this season.

If given more minutes next season, Anenih definitely has the ability to elevate the defense and be the solution to the Cougars’ defensive problems.

Staff Writer Samuel Loveday

The Cougars’ volleyball team didn’t have the greatest of seasons this year, but what they did have was an array of extremely talented players.

Senior Chenelle Walker is one such player gifted with a powerhouse offense and defense.

Walker’s physical prowess allowed her to break through her opponents’ defense on demand for an easy kill or do a quick hop to fortify the net with her sturdy blocks.

Her numbers are nothing to be shy about, having season-highs of 11 kills and nine blocks.

But her physical attributes are only part of her strengths. Her skill offensively is incredible, having mastered a spinning whip-like spike that cuts right through the defensive effort like butter. She is nothing short of amazing, constantly putting her offensive game on display on a nightly basis.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Roundtable: Three Cougars that went underrated in the fall semester” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar