HS Volleyball: Lady War Eagles Snag Road Win to Remain Near the Top of 13-6A

CONROE, TX -- The Oak Ridge Lady War Eagles (25-6) picked up a crucial road win over the Conroe Lady Tigers (9-15) to stay within striking distance of the top spot in the district standings.

After their brutal loss to the Lady Cavaliers a week ago, Oak Ridge bounced back against New Caney to match the team in district record with College Park, The Woodlands, and Willis. With the dynamic changes at the top of the standings, each win was paramount in the race for a district title.

In an interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Oak Ridge Head Coach Tommie Sledge spoke on the importance of each team win.

“I feel like, in our district, every game is an opportunity to either make a move up or a move down,” said Sledge. “It's exciting just to get out here and compete and execute. I think it's going to be a battle like this all the way to the end.”

The emphasis on picking up wins carried over to the Lady War Eagles’ play to start their match at Conroe.

A 6-0 run out the gate immediately swung the momentum to Oak Ridge’s side. The Lady Tigers were caught flat-footed by the relentless hitting they were facing.

Returns on serves from Oak Ridge were frequently turned away at the net, and incoherent communication from the Conroe defense left gaps that were easily exploited for Lady War Eagle points.

Outright dominance on display from the Lady War Eagles quickly put the first set out of Conroe’s reach, with the lead ballooning as high as 16 in Oak Ridge’s favor.

Conroe did show signs of a fight towards the end of the set, with timeouts remedying some of the issues that hindered the team early in the set. Passes were cleaner, the defense made better decisions on 50/50 balls, and the hitters forced their swings through the Lady War Eagle blockers.

But their work came too late to swing the set back in their favor. A two-touch on a Conroe pass attempt gave Oak Ridge a 25-11 win to take the first set.

“I think it’s because this team is so hard working and doing big things,” said Sledge on what propelled her team’s opening set performance. “I feel blessed to be able to move my lineup around and have good matchups wherever I put my girls.”

Conroe’s success towards the end of the first set prevented the second set from starting with another Oak Ridge runaway. Well-timed digs from the back row and accurate hits into Lady War Eagle gaps made the opening of the second set competitive.

The Lady Tigers came within one point of tying the set multiple times, but a defiant block tandem block from Anastacha McGowen and Prestyn Parish finally did the job. One more block later Conroe had its first lead of the match at 9-8.

More impressive plays from Parish on the serve and McGowen at the net continued to push Conroe farther ahead on the scoreboard. Loud bursts of cheers rang through Conroe’s gym with each point pushing the Lady War Eagles farther behind, culminating in a six-point Lady Tiger lead before a Coach Sledge timeout tried to stop the bleeding.

“[Conroe] flipped their middles, which was a great call,” said Sledge on Conroe’s second-set tactics. “Sometimes it’s a combination of things where someone is feeling somebody, and I think [McCardell’s] girls probably picked up what we were doing and we able to make adjustments.”

Coach Sledge’s decision worked in bringing Oak Ridge closer, with a 4-0 run out of the break springing the Lady War Eagles back into contention. The 4-0 run was quickly followed by another run of 3-0 to bring the team within one point of tying.

Conroe Head Coach Keandra McCardell tried to swing the momentum back by calling a timeout of her own, but the Lady War Eagles persisted and tied the game at 18 apiece.

The teams started to trade points back-and-forth, with both teams looking to deliver the knockout blow to create separation. Neither team could pull off a run of more than two points at a time, and the teams were forced to play into extra points.

Needing two points to secure the victory, both teams worked their hardest for each point. Laying out for digs, sprinting to cover balls, and a heightened tension carried the teams deeper into extra points.

Finally, a 2-0 Conroe run put the set to bed, and a 28-26 victory for the Lady Tigers evened the match at one set per squad.

With the match essentially back at zero, the teams returned to the floor for a third set that would serve as the true back-breaker for whoever lost it.

Conroe took the initial lead at the start of the third set, but a 6-0 run similar to the first set put the Lady War Eagles in control. A Conroe timeout did not stop the eventual 10-0 Oak Ridge run fueled by control at the net from Leila Ceaser and Micah Rusher that wiped out the Lady Tiger offense.

“Our girls don’t want to go to five,” said Sledge. “I think that we pride ourselves on being aggressive out of timeouts, and that’s something we’ve worked on. Getting that first point out of a break is huge for them.”

A screaming contest between the Conroe student section and the Oak Ridge junior varsity squad failed to stop the potent Lady War Eagle momentum that had already built an impressive 12-point lead.

Revitalized blocking from the Lady Tiger front row tried to stop Oak Ridge’s offense, but unlucky bounces out of bounds just added more fuel to the Lady War Eagles’ already red-hot fire.

The flames of Oak Ridges’ offense continued to burn the Tigers as the set closed, with the Lady War Eagles taking a two-set-to-one advantage following their 25-14 third-set win.

“There’s going to be matchups where the other team catches fire answer just have to deal with it,” said Sledge. “But, I’m proud of the girls, that we can start over at zero to zero and just go at them all over again.”

Oak Ridge’s momentum carried over to the fourth set, with a 4-0 run putting the team in front. But similar to the second set, the Lady Tigers fought to make the set competitive, knowing they needed a win to keep the match going.

Unfortunately for Conroe, their points only came in ones or twos, not the extended runs they needed to create meaningful separation. Meanwhile, the run that opened the set for Oak Ridge was enough distance to keep the team ahead going into double digits.

With the lead still in hand, the Lady War Eagles mounted a scoring run that looked to be the game-sealing punch the team was looking for.

Another 4-0 run inched Oak Ridge closer to victory, with Conroe still searching for enough offensive consistency to force a tie.

The Lady Tigers fought to the bitter end by relying on what won them the second set. Controlling the point of attack at the net pressured the Lady War Eagle hitters enough to force a handful of blocks that brought Conroe within three of tying.

Conroe’s late 4-0 run tied the longest of the set, but untimely errors on serves kept the team from completing their comeback.

The final point came on an ace from the Lady War Eagles, allowing them to leave Conroe High School with a three-set-to-one victory.

“Aggressive and consistent practices every day,” said Sledge on the team’s preparation for the rest of district. “No matter what, we’re handling our business in the gym for practice so that we got out here and can execute. This should be fun.”

The preparation for Oak Ridge now readies the team for an out-of-district meeting with Klein Cain on Friday, while Conroe takes on the reigning State Champion Grand Oaks Lady Grizzlies.

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