HS Volleyball Championship: BACK-2-BACK!! Grand Oaks Repeats as 6A State Champions

GARLAND, TX -- The Grand Oaks Grizzlies climbed the mountaintop and defeated the Fulshear Chargers in four sets to claim back-to-back State Championships.

The chance to repeat as State Champions is one of a lifetime and the Grizzlies' nerves had to be overcome before the match got underway if they wanted to make their hopes a reality.

Going against Grand Oaks was the fact that they had faced the Chargers twice during the regular season and both matches went to Fulshear.

In an interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Morgan Rogers explained the importance of keeping the team’s nerves low ahead of their all-important matchup.

“We didn’t even talk about the last two games, we just moved on,” explained Rogers. “That was August, and we had to focus on the now and what we needed to do moving forward.”

Tension and a profound pressure hung in the air of the Curtis Culwell Center as the match got underway, but Fulshear took full advantage by building an early lead against the seemingly flat-footed Grizzlies.

Fulshear’s front row formed a nearly impenetrable wall that turned away Grand Oaks’ early hitting. Blocks from Alexys James and Shayne Voskuhl kept Grand Oaks from building significant traction with their offense.

Adding to Grand Oaks’ struggles were the frequent mistakes in judgment or execution that afforded the Charges free points. Open spots on the floor and miscommunication left the Grizzlies out of position for many of Fulshear’s opening points, giving the Chargers early control.

The lack of execution on behalf of the typically proficient Grizzlies allowed the Chargers to establish a seven-point lead with little opposition from Grand Oaks. The Fulshear run got so bad that the normally restrained Coach Rogers needed to call a timeout to keep the match in check.

“We kept shooting ourselves in the foot whenever we committed errors,” said Rogers. “Against a talented team like Fulshear, we can’t do that.”

Following the pause, the Grizzlies put together successive strings of points that brought the first set within reach. Fulshear’s lead was taken down to four, and a refocused Grand Oaks squad started to find their stride.

Grand Oaks’ momentum and a 4-0 run through the midpoint of the first set saw the Grizzlies wipe away the Charger lead before Fulshear could seal the deal. But more costly Grand Oaks mistakes would keep Fulshear maintaining a slight edge.

But, with the Chargers ahead 22-18, the Grizzlies mounted a ferocious tear of hitting from Samara Coleman to create a 4-0 run that evened the opening set at 22 apiece. It was then Fulshear’s turn to call a timeout and stop Grand Oaks’ momentum, but an out-of-bounds tip off an attempted Charger block kept the comeback alive.

Grand Oaks’ comeback was realized through a tip at the net from Emma Ferreira to secure the final Grizzly point on a 26-24 opening set win.

“I think our experience was a huge factor,” said Rogers. “Thee girls have trusted in their experience multiple times and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. Any time we talked during a timeout, they are great at making those kind of big adjustments as well.”

The positive momentum built by the Grizzlies to end the first set carried over to the start of the second. More impressive hitting from Grand Oaks’ outsides, including previous tournament MVP Halle Thompson, pushed the team on an early 3-0 run to claim an early lead.

High-caliber competition in Fulshear saw the Chargers battle back and force multiple ties, but the early woes that plagued Grand Oaks’ start were finished.

Three ties between the teams showed the fight on display, but the slight edge in Grand Oaks’ favor continued to keep the team afloat in the face of Fulshear’s attempted charges.

Revamped blocking from the Grizzlies kept the Charger offense at bay while maintaining runs put on by the Grand Oaks hitters. The lethal defending champs took the chances given to them and rewarded themselves with a five-point lead.

Fulshear burned all of their timeouts during the second set to stop Grand Oaks’ momentum but only partially succeeded. The five-point lead was stripped away, but the continual lead still sat with the Grizzlies as points continued to pile.

Heading into the twenties, a 5-0 run from the Grizzlies put the team ahead by the largest margin on the night without Fulshear being able to stop it. Grand Oaks’ seven-point lead provided a sizable cushion ahead of set point, allowing the girls to play loose and score points where they could be found.

“It was confidence that pushed us,” said Rogers. “To be able to come out on top during a tough first set gave our girls confidence and some breathability to get the early pressure off their shoulders.”

A final kill from Thompson punctuated a Grand Oaks-heavy second set with a score of 25-18. Fulshear’s inability to snag a lead at any point during the second was further evidence that Grand Oaks was playing with the mindset of repeat-or-bust.

With their backs against the wall and their shot at a title on the line, the Chargers opened the third set with an opening barrage that surpassed the team’s longest run of the match. The immediate 5-0 Fulshear run gave the team some much-needed momentum.

Fulshear’s desperate plight saw the team force kills through the would-be Grand Oaks blockers with regularity.

The seven kills before double-digits highlighted their strong offensive push, with a Grizzly timeout doing little to stop the rapid Charger momentum.

The eleven-point Charger lead was a testament to their fight to stay alive. Each Grand Oaks point was reciprocated by two to three from Fulshear in their third set onslaught.

An incessant 16 kills from the Chargers was the emergence of a revitalized spirit that aimed to completely flip the game on its head. The end-to-end control from the previously quiet Chargers got the team a comfortable 25-12 win to force a minimum of one more set.

“We’ve lost games that ended close,” said Rogers. “We had to make sure of ourselves, refocus, and move on.”

With Fulshear refusing to go quietly, the Grizzlies needed to handle their opponents in the fourth or risk a wave of Charger energy overturning the two-set hold that gave confidence and breathing room for the reigning champs.

3-0 for Grand Oaks straight out of the gate reestablished some of the Grizzlies’ control on the match, but a well-apparent effort from Fulshear guaranteed a fight to the finish.

A war of attrition ensued, with points being a precious commodity. Fulshear’s points kept the set from becoming a runaway, while Grand Oaks’ points inched the team closer to their anticipated repeat.

Neither team could muster a run that matched Grand Oaks’ opening surge until late, but this inconsistent scoring benefited the Grizzlies. Grand Oaks was outpaced in every major stat by the Chargers, but their composure and experience kept the squad from falling.

The seven-point lead in Grand Oaks’ favor seemed small on the scoreboard but with the team up 20-13, it spelled doom for the scrappy Chargers and their wishful comeback.

Fulshear did mount a 3-0 run that added some tension to the previously lopsided set, but a timeout from the Grizzlies caused a full stop to the Chargers’ momentum, and the writing started to appear that a repeat was in the books.

“Towards the end, we felt like we were working hard enough to build and keep our leads,” said Rogers. “Whenever the time came, all we needed to do was get one point and it would us out of the pressure.”

A picturesque block from Coleman on match point signaled the repeat was destined. Grand Oaks’ 25-20 fourth-set win was the culmination of a season’s work that rewarded the team with the highest honor of being State Champion for the second year in a row.

“I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to lead these girls,” said Rogers. “They play really hard for each other, for me, and for this community.”

The culmination of another season of hard work and determination was capped off by another title, trophy, and banner for the relentless Grand Oaks Grizzlies.

Congratulations to the Grand Oaks Grizzlies on their second-straight State Championship!

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