Volleyball semifinal preview: Colleyville Heritage is looking to defend its state title
Colleyville Heritage volleyball is on a quest to defend its class 5A state championship.
To punch its ticket to the state championship semifinal, Colleyville Heritage (40-10, 12-2 District 7-5A D1) swept Argyle, the District 7-5A D1 champion. Back on Sept. 15, the Panthers were on the other end of a sweep.
Now, Colleyville Heritage is set to face Liberty Hill in the state championship semifinal on Friday at 11 a.m. at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland.
The Panthers returned five players from 2022’s championship winning team. To get to this point, they had to develop chemistry and focus on starting games the right way.
“It’s kind of like a whole new team,” middle Maddie Bird said of the current roster. “But I think over the course of the season, we’ve really gelled, and I think we play together well.”
During this playoff run, Panther volleyball has emphasized self improvement, choosing to focus on themselves and what they can do to improve.
“Our focus was just making sure that emotionally we didn’t get too high or we didn’t get too low,” head coach Josh McKinney said. “We tried to play one play at a time regardless of what the score was.”
McKinney said the team is similar to the ‘22 squad with good passing, serve receive and defense. He said there is one main difference: the Panthers are running a 6-2 rotation instead of a 5-1.
“Suli (Ane Davis) has had to step in and set, and she’s done a great job,” McKinney said. “We’ve relied heavily on freshman setter Claire Bundy, who has done a great job for our team.”
Ane Davis and Claire Bundy have thrived in the new, two-setter system, tallying 512 and 930 assists, respectively. The two have had key roles in leading the Panthers to another state championship tournament.
The players powering the panthers
On top of handling some setting duties, Ane Davis leads the team with 770 kills and has been efficient, registering a .462 hitting percentage. She also leads the team with 92 total blocks and has 656 digs.
McKinney said Ane Davis is amazing on the court, but that the biggest thing she brings to the team is leadership. He added she is humble, hardworking and a great role model for her teammates.
“She is a servant leader,” McKinney said. “She would never ask anybody on our team to do anything that she would not do herself. She is the first to step up anytime we need anything done.”
Bird has also been a force at the net, racking up 390 kills. She has also passed well, racking up 449 total digs.
McKinney said Bird is the “glue” of the team and mentioned her versatility as a player allows them to exploit certain matchups.
“She does a great job on serve receive,” McKinney said. “Offensively, she’s taken a huge, huge leap and we’ve been able to count on her in some big moments.”
Another key contributor to the offense is sophomore Audrey Popp, who played behind the upperclassmen in 2022, finishing the season with 18 kills. Now, she has 293 heading into the state semifinal in a critical role.
“This year she’s been able to step into her own and has been given a ton of opportunity,” McKinney said. “She blossomed and has been able to show who she is. She’s extremely versatile and someone we can count on.”
A cornerstone of the Panther defense is libero Sarah Mendoza, who leads the team with 656 digs. McKinney said Mendoza has a “bulldog mentality” and is willing to run through a wall or do whatever it takes for a point.
“Sarah has really anchored our defense,” McKinney said. “And coming into this year, that was a question mark and she solidified that position. I think she is one of the best liberos in the state.”
The next opponent: Liberty Hill
Liberty Hill was swept by Reedy in the state semifinal in 2022 and did not get an opportunity to face Colleyville Heritage. One year later, the program has another shot to make the class 5A state championship.
“Liberty Hill is extremely talented,” McKinney said. “You don’t you don’t make it back to state back to back years without being talented. … They’re really balanced on offense.”
McKinney said the team will keep the same focus it’s had throughout the entire playoff run. He added they’ll need to stay disciplined at the net to block against a talented offensive team.
“We’re going to serve aggressive and then really do a good job of focusing on our first touch,” McKinney said. “And if we’re able to do that, I think that allows us, offensively, to do whatever we want.”
Ane Davis said she is excited to play in an intense, playoff atmosphere.
“I can’t wait for us to have that feeling of just walking into the gym feeling like a celebrity and playing good competition,” Ane Davis said. “I think the whole team is on board.”
McKinney said the team is willing and able to make sacrifices for the “greater good” of the program. He mentioned the team’s togetherness translating to success on the court.
“There’s talented teams who have been destroyed from the inside just because they don’t get along and their camaraderie and sense of team is not there,” McKinney said. “ … My group of girls absolutely love each other and would do anything for each other.”
If Colleyville Heritage defeats Liberty Hill, they’ll face either Lamar Fulshear (40-4) or Lucas Lovejoy (32-10) on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Curtis Culwell Center.
This story was originally published November 16, 2023 at 4:25 PM.
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