HS Volleyball Playoffs: Grand Oaks Remains Perfect Following Sweep to Advance to State Championship

CHINA SPRING, TX -- The Grand Oaks Grizzlies (41-7) defeated the Allen Eagles (31-13) in a sixth-straight sweep to clinch a spot in the upcoming State Championship on Saturday.

Despite the tough competition and increased pressure of elimination, the Grizzlies entered their match against Allen without dropping a single set through all four of their playoff games.

Grand Oaks’ determination and willpower to finish as repeat State Champions continued to push the team into a State Semifinal matchup with the season at stake.

Passionate fans filled the China Spring High School gym for both sides, adding to the intensity. Loud students and dedicated parents stood and sat in support of their respective schools for what appeared to be an exciting matchup.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks High School Head Coach Morgan Rogers discussed the team’s composure in the intense atmosphere.

“We had to stay within the court, within ourselves, and to not play outside of ourselves,” said Rogers. “It’s easy to let this moment get too big, especially when a good amount of our girls haven’t been here before. We only had six returning, so we had to limit the outside noise and woot about our people.”

With fans and players ready, the teams took to the floor in a balanced opening set that saw four ties and three lead changes before either squad hit double digits. The longest run of the early going was 3-0 for both teams, keeping the score closely tied.

The first breakaway came after Grand Oaks took its second lead of the set on a 4-0 run. The Grizzly run was built on blocks from the high-flying front row and kills from tournament veterans Halle Thompson and Samara Coleman.

But the Eagles fought against the grain and brought the set back with a 4-0 run of their own. Allen’s push and the ensuing eight ties through the midpoint of the set kept the momentum in a perpetual balance.

Following the 12th tie at 18 apiece, the Grizzlies parlayed a sailed Allen serve into a string of three straight points, including a kill from Thompson and an ace from Coleman. The 3-0 Grand Oaks run was the largest for either team since hitting double digits and it forced the Eagle coaching staff to call timeout to stop the late Grizzly momentum.

Allen Head Coach Stephanie Poole’s timeout was well timed in stopping Grand Oaks’ run while putting fuel in the tank for an Allen late comeback.

Revamped hitting from Allen’s outsides broke through the Grizzly defense to the point of bringing the set within one point of tying at 23-22 Grand Oaks. But, a responding timeout from Coach Rogers refocused the Grizzlies in the clutch moment.

“We just needed to side out one ball. It was a matter of focusing on that one ball instead of thinking big picture,” explained Rogers. “Two whole points was all we needed and refocusing allowed us to do what we needed to.”

Composure and grace under pressure gave the Grizzlies the tools needed to finish the job on a Coleman tip over the net to seal the first set. Grand Oaks’ 25-23 win provided a light cushion, but improvements needed to be made if they hoped to leave the Semifinal matchup without stress.

“Our serve and pass was the big discussion,” said Rogers. “[Allen] had offense all over the place. Their hitters are huge and played incredibly, but we knew if we could take care of the serve and pass and play good defense, we’d have a pretty good chance.”

Gradual momentum and multiple miscues from the Eagles allowed the Grizzlies to open the second set with stronger control. Their combination of three 3-0 runs before double digits built Grand Oaks’ lead to eight, the highest of the match to that point for either team.

The third uncontested run and the early lead necessitated an Eagle timeout to stop the bleeding before the score got out of hand.

Allen’s stoppage worked to perfection for the second time in the match. The Grizzly run was stopped in its tracks again, and the Eagles mounted a 3-0 run out of the break to bring the set to an approachable deficit.

But after more play and Allen's mistakes, Grand Oaks reestablished their momentum and surged to a lead-extending run that put the set to rest well before the Eagles had a chance to come back.

“I think it’s because [we] are so high-caliber and they can work things out on their own,” said Rogers commending her team’s ability to compromise on the floor. “They have really good chemistry and it's good to give them space and let them work things out because they are top-notch players.”

End-to-end control through the Eagles’ mini-surges kept the Grizzlies in the driver’s seat through the final points of the set. A final sailed shot from Allen emphasized the team’s mistakes that kept the set from feeling close while giving Grand Oaks a 25-16 win for a two-set-to-none advantage.

The streak of five-straight sweeps through the playoffs was present to those watching in the stands and keeping track at home, but it weighed little on those on the floor.

“We hadn’t thought about that we swept people coming into tonight,” said Rogers. “A win is a win and that’s what we’re going to take.”

With their backs against the wall, the Eagles had to overcome the mistakes that kept them out of the second set or be sent home as another victim on Grand Oaks’ road to a hopeful repeat.

Ties at each of the first six points of the third and prolonged volleys illustrated the fight from Allen to keep the match from ending in a sweep. Even a 3-0 Grand Oaks run was wiped away by the desperate but determined Eagles.

It took an eventual 4-0 Grizzly run to push the envelope far enough for the third set to feel comfortable for those supporting Grand Oaks.

Despite previous Allen timeouts working to stop the Grand Oaks freight train, Coach Poole’s timeout following the Grizzly run did little to stop the overwhelming momentum in Grand Oaks’ favor.

Dances and smiling faces on Grand Oaks’ side of the floor highlighted the team’s comfort with an 11-point lead late into the third set. Even with relaxed demeanors, relentless, high-caliber play from the battle-hardened Grizzlies kept the team’s lead constantly out of reach.

However, the Eagles did mount a late push on a string of kills from Olivia Kitur. It brought Allen within three points of a tie and filled the Eagle parents and students with an energy they hadn’t felt since the opening set.

But with determination and a tested mentality, the Grizzlies fought to keep the set from slipping through their fingers.

“It’s a mature mentality,” explained Rogers. “They’ve been here, not just at Grand Oaks, but on their club teams. They play in championships, national championships, on national teams, or even with U.S.A. Volleyball. They know how to play high-stake volleyball and they trust in their training to get it done.”

An ear-shattering cheer from the Grand Oaks faithful rang through the gym after a final, defiant ace from Thompson put the match to bed in straight sets. The sixth-consecutive straight-set sweep and a 25-21 win in the third catapult the Grizzlies to a second-straight State Championship appearance with a shot at going back-to-back.

“We’re going to celebrate tonight, but when we find out who we’re playing, we’re focusing on that,” said Rogers. “We get to recover then refocus on whoever we got whether its Fulshear or Westlake and start that belief and training process.”

Grand Oaks’ chance to repeat as Champions of 6A will come on Saturday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, with the match set to start at 6 P.M.

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