Lady Highlanders sweep into Regional Tournament

BRENHAM, Texas - Kendall Cook and the Woodlands Lady Highlander volleyball team earned a straight set victory over a tough Round Rock-Westwood squad Tuesday night in Brenham, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-23) as the Lady Highlanders advanced to the Region ll-6A semifinals that will be played at Sam Houston State University's Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville.

Watch the game recap, with highlights.

Cook earned a double-double with 33 assists and 10 digs, as she set her teammates up all match long from all corners of the court. Not to be outdone, Courtney Quinn enjoyed a double-double evening as well, with 12 kills and 13 digs. Julia Pasch turned in another all-around performance with six kills, five digs, an assist, and a whopping five blocks. Haley Reier swept the floor for 13 digs and her excellent serve kept the Lady Warriors off balance all night long. Hannah Hickman filled the stat sheet with six kills, two blocks, an assist and a dig. Rachel Reed had 10 kills and three digs. Bella Pinton had seven kills, Colby Quinn and Codi Lee had twelve and seven digs, respectively.

With the score tied 5-5 in the first set, the Lady Highlanders got some much needed breathing room as Westwood's Angela Yu served long, and Courtney Quinn engineered five straight points from the line as The Woodlands went up 11-5. Westwood's Courtney Marks bashed out three straight kills bringing the Lady Warriors to within three, and it was back and forth until late in the set when two Cook to Hickman connections in a row, put The Woodlands ahead 22-18. Courtney Quinn eventually sealed the set with a kill and a dump.

The Woodlands trailed early in the second set but gained the lead for good when Pasch threaded the needle with a kill that grazed the back line to make it 8-7. The Lady Highlanders ended things on back-to-back Reed kills, with the aid of two picture perfect feeds from Cook.

Although down by two sets, the Lady Warriors were unfazed as they never trailed in the third until a Pasch smash made it 19-18, but not before Hickman tied the score with a momentum changing block. Reed figured into the last three points of the match with a block sandwiched in between two thunderous kills.

Marks led Westwood with 20 kills. Yu had her own double-double with 26 assists and 10 digs. Kim Sladek led all diggers with 20.

The Woodlands graduated four D-1 players from last year's state championship season, so all eyes have been on this year's group to see if they could handle the pressure. Coach Leslie Madison is pleased with the results thus far:

"I think a lot of people...after graduating so many last year didn't really foresee this happening, and I am really proud of these kids. I know we've done it (reached regional finals) now three years, but we don't take that for granted."

The Woodlands opens up on Friday in Huntsville with Highland Park at 4:30pm. The other semifinal pits #2 Austin Westlake against #10 Richardson Pearce at 6:30pm.