Lady Highlanders seek state title

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – They’ve been able to handle the pressure of a No. 1 state and national ranking and an undefeated season. Now, The Woodlands High School volleyball team must handle the pressure of playing at the state tournament if it hopes to begin the 2013-14 school year the same way The Woodlands High School baseball team ended 2012-13.

For the second time in school history, The Woodlands has won the Region II-5A volleyball title and now look to duplicate the state championship that the Highlanders baseball team brought home to end the school year last June.

The Woodlands (43-0) takes on Clear Falls (40-6) at 7 p.m. Friday in the UIL Class 5A Volleyball State Championship semifinals at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. Southlake Carroll (48-1) faces San Antonio Churchill (46-2) in the first semifinals match at 5 p.m.

The winners meet for the UIL Class 5A state championship at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“It feels awesome,” The Woodlands volleyball coach Leslie Madison said of returning to the state tournament for the second time in four years. The first was back in 2010 when the Lady Highlanders won their first Region II-5A crown and reached the state championship match by defeating No. 1 state-ranked Corpus Christi King in the semifinals before falling to Lewisville Hebron in the state finals.

“I’m so proud of them; especially the group that was here last year when we lost in the (region) semi’s and wanted to go to state the next year,” Madison said. “So they’ve done a nice job. It’s one thing to say you want to get there; it’s another to work hard and get there.”

The Woodlands swept both Allen and Plano at the region tournament. Courtney Eckenrode distributed 65 assists and came up with 39 digs in the two matches. At the same time, Madison McDaniel and Courtney Quinn amassed 32 and 26 kills respectively while Kelly Quinn managed 32 digs. Kendall Cook added 18 digs and Rachel Reed, 11 kills. Morgan Eason and Maddie White were also among the standouts at the region tournament.

“That’s the thing about this team, we don’t have one superstar, we’ve got a bunch of really good players,” Madison said. “They work well together.”

The Lady Highlanders enter the state tournament having swept the last 17 matches. Among the 43 victories this season, 39 were sweeps, including a Sept. 6 brooming on Clear Falls’ home floor.

No team has won more than one game from The Woodlands in any match this season and only four have taken even one game. Southlake Carroll was one of those teams. The Woodlands won that match 2-1 in an early season tournament. It’s the Lady Dragons’ only loss this season.

Coppell, Kingwood and A&M Consolidated are the only other teams to have taken a game from The Woodlands this season.

The Woodlands has certainly made it look easy despite the mounting pressure.

“The pressure to get back there is great, so I hope they can finish and win it all,” Madison said. “They’ve had that goal in their mind all year and I think they’re up for the challenge.”

McDaniel, a 6-foot senior outside hitter headed to Arizona State, said she actually felt somewhat relieved after hoisting the Region II-5A championship trophy.

“It’s been our goal from Day 1 and it feels amazing to finally have that weight off our shoulders, going to the Final Four,” McDaniel said. “We know we have the talent to push through. We’re calm and relaxed and we keep our minds together and work as a team. We know what we’re capable of doing.”

She said she didn’t know what kind of pressure they might face in Garland.

“I don’t even know what to expect,” McDaniel said. “But I’m so excited to have the opportunity to go there.”

McDaniel is one of five seniors committed to play volleyball at the next level. She joins Eckenrode (San Diego State), Quinn (LSU), Eason (Texas State) and White (Louisiana-Lafayette) in that group.

Reed, a 6-1 junior middle blocker verbally committed to USC, was in the eighth grade the first time The Woodlands volleyball team advanced to the state tournament. She attended the tournament, a face in the crowd when the Lady Highlanders captured their first region title three years ago. She said she remembers the dog pile that followed.

“I just remember thinking, ‘I wish I could do that,’” Reed said. “Kelly (Quinn) and Courtney (Eckenrode) went to state their freshman year. They’ve kind of been the ones who gave us the description of the feeling throughout the whole season. Every time we hear it we just want it more and more.”

Reed is one of two juniors on the squad that have verbally committed to play volleyball in college. Julia Pasch has a verbal to Louisiana-Lafayette.

So far, this cohesive group hasn’t allowed the pressure to get to them.

“Whenever we’re down we think about our record and how far we’ve come and it just gives us our confidence right back,” said Reed, who never even considered an undefeated season until the victory total reached 40.

“I never thought about being undefeated,” Reed said. “But now that we’re getting closer and the competition is getting better, yeah there’s that small doubt. But I really don’t think about it. It doesn’t scare me.”