Four Tompkins High School athletes have committed to play college sports, with destinations that include Baylor, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania.

Senior volleyball player Natalie Kitts committed to Baylor. Junior volleyball player Elsa St. Rose committed to Duke. Senior volleyball player Drew Merrell committed to East Texas Baptist University. Senior diver Sophia Gayser committed to Penn.

All four are verbal commits. None has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI).

The Nestline, Tompkins' student newspaper, profiled all four in a Wednesday, Sept. 9, article by Bridget Ladd. Each athlete described what drew them to their future school.

"I am committed to Baylor because the culture there is so much like a family, and it just really aligns with my values," Kitts told The Nestline.

St. Rose, the lone junior in the group, said academics drove her decision. She told the student paper she committed to Duke mainly because of the academics and could not pass up the opportunity. St. Rose also acknowledged the jump ahead of her, saying she is worried about the speed of play at the next level.

Merrell said she felt she was not done playing after high school and that going into her senior year, she had more to give to the sport. She will play volleyball at East Texas Baptist in Marshall, Texas.

Gayser said a campus visit to Penn sold her. She described meeting the coaches and team, spending a day on campus and leaving with the feeling that she could see herself there.

Both Merrell and St. Rose earned spots on the Houston Chronicle's list of 100 athletes who defined Houston high school sports in 2025-26. Katy ISD placed eight athletes on that list.

The commitments come during a strong stretch for Tompkins volleyball. The Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) ranked the Falcons No. 1 in its Class 6A poll on Aug. 18. Tompkins dropped to No. 24 in the Sept. 1 poll after holding the No. 2 spot on Aug. 24.

St. Rose still has two full high school seasons remaining before she joins Duke's program. Kitts, Merrell and Gayser will look to close out their senior campaigns at Tompkins before heading to their new programs next fall.