State volleyball: Eagle Mountain makes history; Nelson, Carroll one win away
Eagle Mountain, Southlake Carroll and Byron Nelson advanced to volleyball state championship matches.
Here is a roundup of the action:
Eagle Mountain makes history for Fort Worth
Ahead of a UIL high school volleyball Class 4A Division II state semifinal on Saturday at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, Eagle Mountain volleyball had already made history for Fort Worth.
The Knights, in their second year since Eagle Mountain High School’s opening, were the first team from the city of Fort Worth to play in a UIL volleyball state semifinal since Castleberry in 1977. Eagle Mountain is within Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD with a Fort Worth address.
The Knights weren’t satisfied, becoming the first school from Fort Worth to make a UIL volleyball state championship appearance. Eagle Mountain made quick work of Longview Spring Hill in a three set sweep (25-15, 25-8, 25-17).
Eagle Mountain (37-11) will face Wimberely (46-5) for the title at 6 p.m. Friday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland.
“We’ve really mentally refocused,” Eagle Mountain head coach Catherine Foerster said. “We’re just really focused on attacking all the time. And mentally growing.”
Before becoming Eagle Mountain’s first head coach, Foerster led Decatur to Class 4A state championships in 2020 and 2021. She said making a state title game is special anywhere, but mentioned Eagle Mountain’s relative youth and Fort Worth’s lack of state championship contenders creating a “brand new” feeling.
“We’re 15 months in,” Foerster said. “Just making sure that we’re enjoying this moment, and understanding all the hard work it took for us to get here.”
Although surrounding suburbs have seen success, there have been only three total state semifinal appearances from schools in Fort Worth (Castleberry 1977, Castleberry 1976 and Boswell 1970). Eagle Mountain is the first of the bunch to advance to the state championship, although the team is playing under a different format; in 2024, the UIL adopted split division rules, splitting classifications into two brackets.
Against Spring Hill, Eagle Mountain seniors Keoni Williams and Brooke Lacewell led the way, combing for 22 kills. Williams had eight blocks, while Lacewell had 12 digs.
How did the Knights rise to the top of Class 4A volleyball in only two seasons? Foerster credited the athletes for helping build a culture of discipline and hard work while maintaining a focus on limiting errors and executing plays.
Byron Nelson wins 77th straight
Byron Nelson is one win away from a perfect season and back-to-back state titles.
The Bobcats swept Cypress Ranch 25-19, 25-23, 25-16 to advance to the Class 6A Division I state championship. Byron Nelson (41-0) will face Pearland Dawson (42-4) at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland.
In 2024, Nelson won in the Division II bracket, failing to drop a set throughout the entire postseason. In these playoffs, the Bobcats dropped one set in the bi-district round to Mansfield Lake Ridge, one of only four sets lost all season.
Byron Nelson, MaxPreps’ No. 1-ranked team in the nation, will look to win its third state title. The program’s last loss came on Aug. 18, 2024, in a three-set tournament game against Highland Park.
Southlake Carroll sweeps Tomball
For the first time since 1998, Southlake Carroll volleyball is heading back to a state championship game.
In their third state semifinal appearance in program history, the Dragons swept Tomball 25-15, 25-23, 25-15 in the Class 6A Division II bracket.
The Dragons (34-5) will face Austin High School (41-6) in the state championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. Carroll has never won a volleyball state title, per UIL records.
Carroll finished second in District 4-6A play behind national powerhouse Byron Nelson. One key player is middle blocker Kinsley Young, a TCU signee. She leads the team in blocks, entering the semifinal with 106.
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM.
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