Lady Highlanders volleyball: Best in Texas

The Woodlands High School volleyball team is the best in the state of Texas…….right now!

The 2013 season has just started and there still is a long, long way to go, a journey of which this veteran team is well aware: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Kelly Quinn told me.

A lot can and will happen throughout a 40-plus match schedule. Focus and maturity, along with injuries and perhaps grades, will help determine whether or not the Lady Highlanders are the best team on Nov. 23.

On Saturday, Aug. 17, the Lady Highlanders made a statement at Pearland in the 79-team Texas Volleyball Invitational, the largest in the country. The Woodlands took down No. 1 state-ranked and two-time defending state champions Coppell 2-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-11) in the tournament championship match.

Courtney Eckenrode deservedly earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award and both Courtney and Kelly Quinn were named to the all-tournament team. The three were methodical if not spectacular in their efforts on Saturday and throughout the three-day event.

Madison McDaniel, Rachel Reed, and Morgan Eason were equally impressive at the net on Saturday to keep the Lady Highlanders undefeated at 10-0.

The Woodlands High School baseball team fielded a similarly veteran group. It will be interesting to watch the Lady Highlanders this fall to see if they can duplicate those results…….No pressure!