HS Volleyball: Lady Grizzlies Emerge Victorious in District Opener Over The Woodlands

SPRING, TX -- The Grand Oaks Lady Grizzlies (15-4) defended their home court in an intense district opener against the visiting Lady Highlanders (6-5) to set the tone for their district title defense.

The Grand Oaks student section was rocking before the opening serve, heightening the importance of a strong start to district for both squads.

Despite the home crowd working against them, the Lady Highlanders battled through the environment to scrap together an early lead. But their lead failed to grow higher than three, allowing the Lady Grizzlies to stay in striking distance.

An opportunity came knocking for Grand Oaks due to a 5-0 run to capture the team’s first lead before reaching double digits. It unfortunately did not last due to the persistent Lady Highlanders, who fed off steady team defense and Lady Grizzly errors to swing the momentum back to their side.

Momentum shifts and infrequent runs would remain the name of the game for the rest of the opening set. The Lady Highlanders matched each Grand Oaks point, culminating in three ties and two lead changes throughout the opening set.

When the Lady Grizzlies would attempt a push to tie the set, the Lady Highlanders would do just enough to stay in front. The Woodlands were threatened in the sets’ closing points, but their lead was enough of a cushion to take the opening set 25-20.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Morgan Rogers spoke on the difficulties her team experienced in the opening set loss.

“Throughout the first set for us, I saw that we looked a little scared to lose,” said Rogers. “We’re also coming off losing some tough matches this past weekend. So it was that tense, scared to lose in our own gym to start district mindset that fried our nerves.”

The Woodlands’ momentum that ended the first set was not carried over to the second. Service errors from the Lady Highlanders and incredible plays on defense from Grand Oaks meant the Lady Grizzlies took control.

It took five ties before separation was established, but the renewed hitting from Halle Thompson and Samara Coleman pushed the Lady Grizzlies into a four-point lead around the second set’s midway point.

“Halle, Samara, and Cali [Reece] were out there every point talking to everybody during every timeout,” said Rogers. “They’re the ones leading the charge. They don’t need me to do it. They know what it feels like. And they know what it takes to overcome this kind of a match.”

But just as they did in the first set, the Lady Highlanders fought back to tie the set. The sudden Woodlands run was spurred on by a timeout that led to a 3-0 run to tie the teams at 17 apiece, forcing Grand Oaks to call a timeout of their own in response.

Three straight points out of the break put the Lady Grizzlies back in the driver’s seat. More highlights on the defensive end allowed the Grand Oaks to take a 25-19 win in the second set, evening the squads at one set apiece.

With the match evened up both teams resumed their back-and-forth affair for the third consecutive set.

Serving errors dictated the flow of the early third set, with the Lady Highlanders getting the worse between the two teams. Defensive plays that turned into efficient offense for the Lady Highlanders were frequently undone by misses on serves.

The inefficient job on serves meant that the Lady Grizzlies were consistently in reach for tying or taking the lead. But their own issues with unsustained runs kept the teams perpetually tied.

But with championship experience on their side, the Lady Grizzlies adjusted on the fly and looked poised to close the set.

Then, a Woodlands timeout refocused the Lady Highlanders for a push that brought the team within one point of tying the set. A combination of digs from Cameron McDaniel and blocks from the sturdy front row pushed The Woodlands within inches of forcing the set to extras.

But the old issue of missed serves proved to be the team’s undoing. Needing one point to tie, a missed serve out of Grand Oaks’ back row gave the Lady Grizzlies a 25-23 victory to go up 2-1 in sets.

With the fourth set carrying tremendous weight, both teams settled in for all-in pushes that would extend the match further or end it outright.

After five ties in a fourth straight contentious open, the Lady Grizzlies rode a ferocious 5-0 run to become the first team to reach double digits in the fourth set. Kills from Thompson and Coleman, and blocks from Emma Ferreira put Grand Oaks in a spot to run away with the closing set.

But with the Lady Grizzlies riding high, a sense of deja vu filled the Grand Oaks gym. The Lady Highlanders battled through the adversity again to come within one point of tying. McDaniel’s unwavering play at libero anchored The Woodlands’ comeback effort with their backs against the wall.

The Lady Highlanders’ hard work paid off with the team swinging enough momentum to their side to take a lead at 17-16. Their momentum would eventually rebalance itself, leading to a tension-filled final points.

With the teams tied at 21 points apiece, a resounding block from The Woodlands’ right side sent a Grand Oaks shot into the hardwood, necessitating a timeout from the Lady Grizzlies.

With the game on the line out of the timeout, the Lady Highlanders maneuvered through the suspenseful atmosphere to slam home a defiant kill that gave the team a 25-23 win to force a winner-take-all fifth set.

“I think we struggled, being a new team, to make adjustments quickly,” said Rogers. “It came down to reiterating the same things and hoping it sticks. We know it’s going to be a process, but we, as coaches, are going to be patient and work through it.”

Both teams walked on pins and needles entering the fifth set. The Lady Highlanders were riding a wave of momentum that saved the match, while Grand Oaks was trying to keep the win from slipping away.

The energy and momentum that pushed The Woodlands to a fourth-set victory prevailed to start the fifth, with a 4-0 run causing an early timeout from Grand Oaks.

“This is our gym,” said Rogers during the crucial timeout. “People came in here with the mindset to take us out, but we have to have some pride and respond in a better way.”

The Lady Grizzlies exited with a potent energy about them. From the players on the floor to the support from the bench, Grand Oaks seemed bent on finishing the Lady Highlanders in an overpowering fashion.

Cheers erupted from the Grand Oaks student section with each point the team tallied. This, paired with the words of leadership and points from Thompson and Coleman, kept the team moving in the right direction on the scoreboard.

Two Woodlands timeouts tried to keep the team’s comeback hopes alive before the final point, but an emphatic ace sealed the deal. Grand Oaks students rushed the court supporting their team who ended the night with a 15-10 win to secure a 3-2 victory over The Woodlands.

Grand Oaks’ win keeps the team’s unbeaten streak in district play from last season alive while simultaneously snapping a two-game skid. The tone-setter of a win now pushes the Lady Grizzlies into a different mindset as the rest of district play looms.

“I think this makes us play with a bit of a chip on our shoulder,” said Rogers. “We say first-hand how someone can push us to the brink and make us work for a win. I think the mentality has to change for us, and that involves everyone.”

The win pushes Grand Oaks to a 15-4 overall record ahead of another tournament on Thursday, while The Lady Highlanders have to refocus on their last out-of-district opponent in the form of Stony Point.

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