HS Volleyball: Oak Ridge Creates Distance in the District Standings Following Win Over Willis

OAK RIDGE NORTH, TX -- The Oak Ridge Lady War Eagles (32-10) separated themselves from the visiting Willis Ladykats (25-19) via a straight-set sweep in a battle of playoff potentials.

With both teams fighting for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming playoffs, execution must prevail through the tension. Errors and miscues needed to be symptoms of each team’s past, not what they are now.

In an interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Oak Ridge Head Coach Tommie Sledge spoke on the team’s preparation for a matchup carrying immense stakes.

“It was not talking about what we were going to get down, but knowing what we wanted to get done,” said Sledge. “We didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on it. It’s just one game to get us a game further.”

Despite some early kills from the Ladykats, Oak Ridge fought their way forward to take an early advantage. Mistakes from Willis aided the team in setting up crucial serving opportunities that preyed on Willis’ stagnant return game.

Multiple Lady War Eagle runs over three points kept the initiative firmly on Oak Ridge’s side. Even the occasional kill from Willis was overcome by the continued scoring might on display by the Lady War Eagles.

The impressive Ladykat hitters tried to tally points in rapid succession but were often turned away by the undaunted Oak Ridge blockers. With both offense and defense unable to break through, Willis was pushed on the backburner throughout the first set.

“I think it was their comradery together,” said Sledge praising her team’s play. “They fought together, they played together, and they communicated together.”

But, the adverse situation did not prevent the Ladykats from mounting a late comeback effort to bring the set back at nearly the last minute. A 5-0 Willis run completely erased the Oak Ridge lead as the teams entered the 20-point mark, and a 24-23 Lady War Eagle lead was the closest score since the start of the set.

A sailed kill attempt from Oak Ridge evened the teams at 24 apiece, but the comeback dream was put to rest by another Willis miscue. A missed kill went out of bounds and gave a hard-fought 26-24 win to the Lady War Eagles to end the first set.

“They’re a good team,” said Sledge on Willis. “You can see them when they come together. So when you get any kind of runs or do something good, you just have to go back and fire at that same situation.”

Similar to their start in the first set, the Lady War Eagles jumped to a commanding early lead that was built on strong defense leading to opportunities for the outside hitters.

The Oak Ridge run got to 7-0 before the Ladykats finally broke the scoring, but it was another example of the early control that swung sets in Oak Ridge’s favor.

Oak Ridge’s control lasted through the midpoint of the set despite the occasional kill or point from the Ladykats.

It took another significant momentum swing to get Willis back into contention with sly tips over the net finding open spaces on the floor to snag efficient points. Their work late in the set made another tight affair ahead of match point.

A second nine-point Lady War Eagle lead was quickly evaporating in the face of a gradual build-up of offense put on by Willis. Infrequent Oak Ridge points and a renewed front-row attack from the Ladykats were chipping at the lead at the 20-point mark for a second straight set.

Luckily for Oak Ridge, a wisely called timeout refocused the team and got another strong effort out of the team at the last second. A couple of points off Willis’ errors and smoother play at the net got the Lady War Eagles a 25-20 win for a two-set advantage.

“I think our win in the second was great, but I think it was fueled by the first set,” said Sledge. “We had the lead the whole game and then it got neck and neck at the end. I think the win in the first settled things that we knew going in and allowed us to battle and overtake them.”

With their back against the wall needing a win to keep the game alive, the Ladykats opened the third set with a ferocious attack that prevented an early Lady War Eagle runaway for the third consecutive set.

The ebb and flow of the third set kept the points in a constant balance between the teams. Neither squad could gain significant traction, with Oak Ridge’s early two-point lead serving as the largest margin heading into double digits.

Dives on incoming balls and loud communication kept the Ladykats from slipping away, but their relentless effort eventually started to slip.

Continued barrages from the Oak Ridge front row broke the Willis defense for an uncontested 4-0 run that built a five-point lead, both highs for the set.

But just as they did in the previous two sets, Willis fought through the long odds and brought the set back into their control by going on a 5-0 run of their own. The longest run of the set erased Oak Ridge’s lead while swinging the control back to the Ladykats ahead of crunch time.

Oak Ridge’s ploy to stop Willis with a timeout worked in the short term by stopping the Ladykat run ahead of the 20-point mark. More ties followed, but a tie was a welcome sight for the Lady War Eagles compared to letting the game-winning set slip through their fingers.

Refocused and reignited hitting from the Lady War Eagle outside hitters pushed the team’s advantage in the hopes of ending the match without a fight. Willis did not go down easy, but a couple of fortunate bounces off Ladykat blocks and a sailed serve gave Oak Ridge a hard-fought 25-22 win and a straight-set victory that puts the team in prime position for the playoffs.

“I truly think our next game will come from all of them coming together and executing,” said Sledge ahead of the team’s Friday match. “I’m so confident in my bench as well. And I think the players on the court are confident in the bench and that everybody puts in the work by doing what they’re supposed to.”

Oak Ridge’s chance to clinch a playoff spot will come via the team’s matchup against the Caney Creek Lady Panthers in a road Friday matchup. Willis will need help from other teams in the district to make the playoffs, but their matchup against Grand Oaks will be a tough one to overcome.

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