HS Volleyball: Rematch of District Opener Sees Grand Oaks Snag Huge Road Win

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The Woodlands Lady Highlanders (26-8) fell to the visiting Grand Oaks Lady Grizzlies (29-6) in a thrilling rematch of the district opener that carried baggage for both teams.

The intensity of the district opener brought an air of anticipation into the rematch, with the Lady Highlanders looking to reclaim lost ground in the district standings. In addition to their close match in August, the Lady Highlanders aimed to be the first team since 2022 to beat the Lady Grizzlies in district play.

Meanwhile, the Lady Grizzlies sought to create the separation needed to push their district title defense into certainty.

Knowing they needed a win to bring the series even, The Woodlands opened the first set with ferocious tenacity. The team rode back-to-back aces and an energetic home crowd to an early lead in the opening set, with Grand Oaks struggling to keep up.

Frequent misses on kills and an inconsistent return on serves kept the Lady Grizzlies one step behind their opponents. Insurance kills from Lady Highlanders like Ella Lewis compounded the early issues for the Grand Oaks squad.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Morgan Rogers spoke on the miscues that held the team back in the early going.

“I think early on, they were serving really tough,” said Rogers. “So kudos to their tough serving that got us out of system, out of sorts, and when we already know where the ball is going most of the time, that was tough to score out of.”

The issues got so bad for Grand Oaks, that the team was forced to call a rare timeout to refocus the team while down 11-16.

Grand Oaks’ timeout failed to stop The Woodlands’ forward momentum, as the Lady Highlanders rode more aces and Lady Grizzly mistakes to extend their lead. The Woodlands' lead would reach eight before the end of the set.

The Lady Highlanders made a statement with their 25-17 victory in the opening set. A high-octane group was playing at the top of their game for The Woodlands, and if Grand Oaks was not ready, the Lady Highlanders would pounce.

“We weren’t feeling great,” said Rogers following a tough first set. “The energy was not there. Our intentions weren’t there. We were just taking up space and time without having a purpose behind it.”

In contrast to the lopsided open to the first set, both teams battled to begin the second set. The battle was highlighted by four ties and four lead changes in the early points of the set.

Each time the Lady Grizzlies looked poised to gain separation on a 4-0 run, the Lady Highlanders would reply with a run of their own to swing the lead back in their favor. The constant swinging back and forth continued as both teams were carried into double digits.

Both teams continued to fight for separation through the set’s midway point, but neither generated enough steam to make the deciding breakaway.

Another four ties and two lead changes left the Lady Highlanders with a narrow lead approaching 20. The team’s 4-0 run pushed the Lady Highlanders ahead by two, and a Grand Oaks timeout hoped to keep The Woodlands from securing a second set.

Coach Rogers’ timeout refocused the Lady Grizzlies and evened the teams at 20 points apiece, and another war of attrition set in for crunch time. More ties heightened the tense mood, but Grand Oaks was determined to finish the set with a win.

An ace from Julia Flessas slammed the door shut on the Lady Highlanders out of a Woodlands timeout while securing a 25-22 Lady Grizzly win. Grand Oaks’ win evened the teams at one set each.

Grand Oaks flashed the dominance that had defined the team’s state championship run to start the third set. An 11-0 run pilled points against the Lady Highlanders who were seemingly caught flatfooted against the overwhelming might of the Lady Grizzlies.

“We stopped making silly errors,” said Rogers on her team’s run. “When we’re getting on a run we want to be intentional about keeping that server back there so we can stay on them. It makes our job a little bit easier later on in the set.”

Aces from Grand Oaks’ Cali Reece kept the scoring in the Lady Grizzlies’ hands throughout the run. Where necessary, the reinvigorated Grand Oaks defense dug incoming Woodlands kills and turned them into quick points.

The Lady Highlanders started scoring scattered points to break the Grand Oaks run, and the 10-point lead began to shrink with each mini Woodlands scoring run. What was a double-digit Lady Grizzly lead quickly shrank due to a 5-0 Woodlands run, but a missed serve put Grand Oaks back in control.

Heightened play from the Lady Highlanders tried to swing the momentum back in their favor. Dives on incoming serves and high-flying kills kept the hopes of a comeback alive on The Woodlands bench.

Unfortunately for the Lady Highlanders, one to two points at a time was not going to swing the set back in their favor. A 2-0 Woodlands run shook up the tension late in the set, but a defiant kill from Halle Thompson sealed a 25-22 victory for the Lady Grizzlies ahead of a do-or-die fourth set for the Lady Highlanders.

“It felt like both sides were a little down, energy-wise,” said Rogers on the third set. “I think it was very important for us to capitalize on that a little and fight through because that wasn’t us playing very clean or pretty.”

Needing a win to keep the game alive, the Lady Highlanders entered the third set with a renewed focus on front-row defense to keep the Lady Grizzlies from scoring on free swings. The strategy worked, and aces on serves pushed The Woodlands on a 4-0 run to claim an early lead.

The front row’s impenetrable blocking continued to stimmy the Grand Oaks hitters, forcing many hits to the hardwood for Lady Highlander points.

Grand Oaks’ inability to break through The Woodlands wall put the team farther and farther behind with each blocked kill. With the Lady Highlander lead reaching six, Coach Rogers was forced to call a timeout to recapture the team’s momentum.

Undaunted by the pause, the Lady Highlanders continued to build their lead with the hopes of securing a win and forcing a fifth set.

Whether veteran leadership or championship experience, the Lady Grizzlies adjusted on the fly to bring the set back within reach. A string of kills from Thompson and Samara Coleman pushed through the adverse scoreboard and brought the set within one of tying.

Now the Lady Highlanders were forced into calling a timeout to recapture the momentum. But, the flashes of dominant play that punctuated Grand Oaks’ third set blinded The Woodlands in a dazzling display of near-perfect play.

“Having those veteran players that play consistently at a high level allows them to drag and pull the others along with them,” said Rogers. “Halle and Samara, of course, but Callie did a great job, Sam [Sampson] did good toward the end too.”

Grand Oaks’ 11-0 run thoroughly put the initiative back on the Lady Grizzlies’ side, with the Lady Highlanders desperately fighting to keep their shot at an upset alive.

The faithful Grand Oaks fans got on their feet for the final point of the match which came on another dagger of a kill from Thompson. The 25-20 final set gave the Lady Grizzlies the win and clear separation from the rest of the pack in the district standings.

“There is no comfort level here,” said Rogers. “We have to make sure we’re focused on our side and being intentional with what our drive and purpose is.”

Next Tuesday marks a key matchup for the Lady Grizzlies, but they must first focus on the Cleveland Lady Indians on Friday. Meanwhile, The Woodlands will look for a rebound against the playoff-hopeful Willis Ladykats.

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