High school volleyball state semifinals: See which teams are advancing to title games
The UIL high school volleyball state semifinals started on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Local teams Aledo, Argyle and Decatur took part in a triple header at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, while Byron Nelson played at Waco Midway High School.
Byron Nelson, McKinney North, Frisco Wakeland and Decatur are heading to state championship games. Here is what happened.
Class 4A D1: Decatur sweeps Celina, advances to title game
Decatur (31-13) defeated Celina in three sets to advance to face Bellville in the Class 4A D1 state championship, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, at the Curtis Culwell Center.
“I think we brought 100 percent,” Decatur head coach Stormi Snider said. “We were playing for each other. The girls -- they’re not ready for the season to be over. We’re excited for Friday. We knew this was going to be a battle.
“I thought the girls brought their A-game. Every time things didn’t go our way, we fixed it and made adjustments. They played great.”
Decatur has won five state championships in program history, with the latest ones coming in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Eagles have never lost a state semifinal or a state championship game, according to UIL archives.
Set one saw Decatur get off to a fast start, and the Eagles went on to capture the frame 25-17.
Set two was a closer affair with the same result; Decatur won it 25-22. The Eagles continued their dominance, taking a 25-18 victory in set three.
Class 5A D1: Aledo falls to McKinney North
McKinney North defeated Aledo in a five-set thriller to advance to the Class 5A Division One state championship. McKinney North will face Flour Bluff in the title game, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Curtis Culwell Center.
The Aledo Bearcats put together one of the greatest seasons in program history, ending with a 35-8 record. The Bearcats are still searching for their first volleyball state title, according to UIL archives.
“What a true testament to the people that they are,” Aledo head coach Claire Gay said of the season. “The women they are and the women they are going to be. They’ve been rallying around each other. They’re the ultimate epitome of what a team looks like. This is a really hard loss.”
The Bearcats, after a fast start, lost steam and dropped the first set, 26-21. The offense was more consistent in set two, and a 6-0 service streak from Alyssa Todd helped secure a 25-19 set two win.
In set three, McKinney North had complete control powered by an elite jump serve from Allyn Brewer and won 25-13. The fourth set saw Aledo trail 19-16, but after a clutch four-point run with the season on the line, Aledo secured a 26-24 victory.
In the final set, Aledo faced a two-point deficit for the majority and contest and could not respond again.
“Props to (McKinney North),” Gay said. “They are a great team. Great defensively. A defensively sound effort by their side -- it got us out of character, and it made us make errors.”
Class 5A D2: Frisco Wakeland topples Argyle
Frisco Wakeland defeated Argyle (39-6) in five sets to advance to the Class 5A D2 state championship. Wakeland will face Cedar Park at noon on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Curtis Culwell Center.
Argyle fell in lopsided fashion 25-13 in the first set but responded with a 25-20 victory. After Wakeland took the third set 25-16, the Wolverines and Eagles went back and forth in an eventful fourth set. Argyle forced set five, breaking match point three times to win 30-28.
In the final set, Wakeland secured a narrow lead and held on to win 15-12. The Wolverines were making their first state semifinal appearance in program history.
Class 6A D2: Byron Nelson advances to state championship
Byron Nelson, Max Prep’s No. 1 ranked high school volleyball team in the nation, swept College Park to advance to the Class 6A D2 state championship, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Curtis Culwell Center.
The Bobcats won 25-15, 25-15, 25-13 in a dominant showing. Byron Nelson (39-1) will face Stratford in the state title game.
Byron Nelson won a state championship in 2019, and head coach Brianne Groth and company are looking to add another.
“Our girls played really well tonight,” Groth said in a statement. “We took our game plan, executed it well, and felt really good about the way we finished. I’m am extremely proud of the work that our kids have put in this year and we can’t be more excited to finally make it to the last day of the volleyball season with our dream in reach!”
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 6:31 PM.
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