Volleyball recap: Southlake Carroll storms back, stuns Weatherford and more from the playoffs
Having lost the first two sets on Tuesday night, Southlake Carroll stormed back and stunned Weatherford in a reverse sweep, 19-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-8 in a Class 6A bi-district opener at Thomas Coliseum.
Carroll (20-20), the No. 4 seed from District 4-6A, upsets 3-6A champ and No. 1 Weatherford, and advances to the area round against Odessa Permian.
Weatherford, which finished the regular season No. 3 in the Star-Telegram 6A area rankings, ends the season with a 35-10 record under first-year Kangaroo coach Karli Morrison.
The Dragons, down 2-0 in the match, opened the third set with a 4-0 start. Kinsley Young and Kaylee Young helped Carroll to a 13-8 lead. The Roos were able to pull within 14-13, but then Carroll led 17-14 to force a timeout. Taryn Barnes sent down a massive kill to keep it a three-point game.
Claire Conner went off the block for Weatheford, but Barnes again got a kill to make it 22-19. Texas Tech commit Kate Hansen smashed one from left side to make it 23-21, but Carroll closed it out on a point from Teddy-Raye Ewers to extend the match.
The fourth set was tied at 7 and 8 before Carroll made a push to lead 11-8 on a kill from Barnes. An ace from Caleigh King and Kinsley Young point increased it to 14-8. Taylor Starr went off the slide to make it 19-16 before Weatherford pushed back to 20-19. A fourth straight error tied the set at 20 before Barnes gave Carroll a 23-20 lead.
Weatherford broke off three set points to cut it to 24-23, but Carroll called a timeout, and like the third set, the Dragons came back to the court and scored to send it to a fifth.
The Roos scored the first two points of the fifth and led 4-2, but Carroll got a kill from Barnes, three Weatherford errors and a Young block to grab a 7-4 lead. Mary Beth Morse’s kill and a Sarah Mendoza ace upped the margin to 10-4. The Roos got as close as 12-8 before the Dragons scored the final the points to take home the win.
Hansen was strong in the early goings to pace the Roos. The opening set was tied at 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. Kaylee Young’s kill through the block gave Carroll a 10-9 edge and two more upped it to 12-9. Hansen smashed two assists and Conner picked up an ace to tie it at 14. West Texas A&M commit Riess Griffith sent one down on left side and then again to the back row that pushed the Roos to a 9-1 run and 20-15 edge.
Carroll got as close as four before the Roos finished for a 1-0 advantage.
Weatherford controlled the pace early in the second. Hansen picked up a block kill and the Roos led 15-11. Carroll pulled within 19-17 off a block by freshman Layla Austin. Then a 5-1 run gave the Roos set point before Carroll called a timeout. Griffith sent one through the block to give them a 2-0 lead.
Carroll defeated Fossil Ridge 3-2 in the regular season finale just to secure a playoff berth, the program’s 26th straight postseason appearance.
Results
Colleyville Heritage d. Midlothian Heritage, 21-25, 25-10, 20-25, 25-10, 15-10
The No. 2 ranked area team in Class 5A, the Colleyville Heritage Panthers had to come back twice over upset minded Midlothian Heritage, the No. 4 seed from District 8-5A.
Colleyville dropped the first set and trailed 2-1 before tying the match with a dominating fourth. But the Jaguars had all the momentum to start the fifth and led 9-4 before the Panthers reeled off an incredible 11-1 run to pull off the win in a 5A bi-district game at Mansfield Lake Ridge.
The Panthers improved to 37-7 and will face Saginaw in the area round.
Saginaw (26-17) took down Everman.
Houston commit Ella Busey had a monster 20 kill-20 dig double double to lead the Panthers while No. 1 area player Morgan Howard had 48 assists and 14 digs. Maddie Bird added 14 digs and a game-high six aces while Ava Ash chipped a team-high 21 digs. Suli Davis and Reagan Engler had 10 and nine kills, respectively.
Colleyville has won 16 straight games.
Argyle d. Midlothian, 17-25, 25-17, 25-14, 25-16
Midlothian came out strong, but Argyle gave the Panthers trouble the rest of the way, pulling off the upset in a Class 5A bi-district game at Arlington Lamar.
The Eagles (31-15) will face Aledo in the area round.
Aledo (31-15) eliminated North Side.
Katherine Holtman finished with 17 kills for Argyle while Jordyn Moore had 23 assists, eight digs and five kills. Olivia Sanchez and Shaye Feely combined for 31 digs and 18 kills. Sydney Payne had 18 assists and eight digs, and Piper Mickenheim chipped in 25 digs.
Argyle is in its first year in 5A and finished fourth in District 7-5A. The Eagles ended in a three-way tie for second place, but lost out on the tiebreaker.
Midlothian had been No. 1 in the area 5A rankings since the second week of the season. The Panthers, District 8-5A champs, end the season 37-5.
Lauren Safrit and Kenna Buchanan led Midlothian with 17 and 14 kills, respectively. Jenna McMichael had 36 assists and Karli Rector had 31 assists.
Arlington Martin d. Richardson, 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 16-25, 15-13
After No. 4 seed Richardson took the fourth set 25-16, the Warriors responded with a win in the fifth to avoid the upset during a Class 6A bi-district game at Coppell.
Martin (30-9), the No. 1 seed and District 8-6A champ, advances to the area round to play Denton Guyer, which swept Coppell.
Natalia Newsome hit 0.471 to finish with 18 kills and four blocks, and freshman Caitlyn Cavitt added 12 kills. Brooke Perry and Rhian Carter chipped in nine and seven, respectively. Three Warriors had 10 ore more digs led by Perry’s 25 followed by Kensie Mundell (22), Sydney Temple (16), Sophie Salas (14) and Rivers Jurkoshek (14). Salas and Temple led with 24 and 21 assists, respectively.
Grapevine d. Burleson, 25-17, 25-11, 25-27, 25-11
The Mustangs began their quest for a third straight trip to the UIL state tournament with a four-set win over the Elks in a Class 5A bi-district game at Mansfield Summit.
Grapevine (16-18) advances to the area round and will play Arlington Heights (25-8), which knocked off Azle in four.
Grapevine was 5A state runner-up to Lovejoy last season. The Mustangs made history to the state semifinals in 2020.
Three Mustangs had 20 digs led by Sydney Engel’s 27 followed by Avery Canter (25) and Ella Larsen (21). Larsen had 16 kills and Ava Shankle had a team-high 17 on 0.500 hitting. Greyson Button chipped in 13 kills and seven blocks and 10 digs. Mikayla Ethridge and Amanda Coy paced the offense with 27 and 20 assists, respectively.
Burleson, No. 3 from 8-5A, finishes with a 20-19 record.
Katie Wong led the Elks with 22 assists and 23 digs. Maddie Cowart had a team-high nine kills. Emily Jacobs and Peyton Roberts chipped in 17 and 15 digs, respectively.
Top performers
Sydney Engel, Grapevine: 27 digs vs Burleson
Jordyn Moore, Argyle: 23 assists, 8 digs, 5 kills vs Midlothian
Katie Wong, Burleson: 22 assists, 23 digs vs Grapevine
Ella Busey, Colleyville Heritage: 20 kills, 20 digs vs Midlothian Heritage
Caroline Kahle, Birdville: 14 kills, 22 digs vs Timberview
Natalia Newsome, Martin: 18 kills, 0471 hitting, 4 blocks vs Richardson
Morgan Howard, Colleyville Heritage: 48 assists, 14 digs vs Midlothian Heritage
Ella Larsen, Grapevine: 16 kills, 21 digs vs Burleson
Lauren Safrit, Midlothian: 17 kills, 16 digs vs Argyle
Rachel Resta, Mansfield: 31 assists, surpassed 1,000 this season vs Copperas Cove
Olivia Sanchez, Argyle: 18 digs, 9 kills vs Midlothian
Greyson Button, Grapevine: 13 kills, 10 digs, 7 blocks vs Burleson
Maya Kelly, Grace Prep: 14 kills, 15 digs vs Dallas Christian
Abbi Parr, Birdville: 37 assists vs Timberview
Kenzi Williamson, Grandview: 45 assists, 23 digs vs Malakoff
Rylee Metts, Aledo: 27 assists, 10 digs vs North Side
Katherine Holtman, Argyle: 17 kills vs Midlothian
Maddie Bird, Colleyville Heritage: 14 digs, 6 aces vs. Midlothian Heritage
Brooke Perry, Martin: 25 digs vs Richardson
Jenna McMichael, Midlothian: 36 digs vs Argyle
Piper Mickenheim, Argyle: 25 digs vs Midlothian
Shelby Martin, Grandview: 22 kills, 21 digs vs Malakoff
Reagan Fifer, Liberty Christian: 25 assists, 4 aces vs Grace Community
Kylie Meche, Mansfield: 15 kills, 0.393 hitting vs Copperas Cove
Ava Shankle, Grapevine: 17 kills, 0.500, 4 blocks vs Burleson
Scores
Aledo 3, North Side 0
Alvarado 3, Carter Riverside 0
Argyle 3, Midlothian 1
Arlington Heights 3, Azle 1
Benbrook 3, Ferris 1
Birdville 3, Timberview 1
Boswell 3, Eaton 1
Bowie 3, Millsap 0
Boyd 3, Inspired Vision 0
Byron Nelson 3, Trinity 0
Carroll 3, Weatherford 2
Colleyville Heritage 3, Midlothian Heritage 2
Dallas Lutheran 3, Weatherford Christian 0
Decatur 3, Gainesville 0
Fort Worth Christian 3, Coram Deo 0
Glen Rose 3, Big Spring 0
Godley 3, Dunbar 0
Grace Prep 3, Dallas Christian 0
Grandview 3, Malakoff 0
Grapevine 3, Burleson 1
Henrietta 3, Brock 1
Highland Park 3, Lamar 0
Keller 3, Chisholm Trail 0
Kennedale 3, YWLA 0
Lake Country 3, Vanguard 0
Lake Highlands 3, Arlington 1
Liberty Christian 3, Grace Community 0
Lubbock Christian 3, Covenant Classical 0
Mansfield 3, Copperas Cove 0
Martin 3, Richardson 2
Midway 3, Lake Ridge 0
Mineral Wells 3, Levelland 1
Nazarene Christian 3, Abilene Christian 1
Northwest 3, South Hills 0
Panther Creek 3, Arlington Summit International 0
Peaster 3, City View 0
Prince of Peace 3, Pantego 0
Rio Vista 3, Dawson 0
Saginaw 3, Everman 0
Sanger 3, Lake Worth 0
Springtown 3, Burkburnett 0
S&S 3, Arlington Trinity Leadership 0
Rio Vista 3, Dawson 0
Tolar 3, Archer City 1
Victory Baptist 3, Longview Christian 0
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 9:51 PM.
