The Woodlands win in a thriller in 5 sets to advance to state final

GARLAND, Texas - Courtney Quinn and The Woodlands high school volleyball team are one step closer to making their 2014 team slogan a dream come true. The "new team, same dream" Lady Highlanders won an epic thriller over Final Four regular, San Antonio-Churchill, by the slimmest of margins, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-19, 20-25, 17-15), before a raucous crowd at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. They advance to play the Clear Falls Knights, making it an all-Houston area 6A championship battle. Clear Falls took care of the Amarillo Sandies in the 5pm game.

Quinn had a huge game, racking up 19 kills and 18 digs, leading a balanced attack that saw Kendall Cook have yet another monumental night collecting 34 assists and 21 digs. The Woodlands hit triple digits in digs with 101.

The Lady Highlanders jumped on the Chargers early in the first set, taking a 9-3 lead after a Courtney Quinn kill nailed the baseline. Unfettered, Churchill came right back as junior, Hannah Lopez, earned two kills on feeds from Karley York, combined with two Cate Buckingham blocks. The Woodlands lead disintegrated, and things were knotted up at 10. Buckingham put her team up for good with another block, and Churchill was off to the races building their lead to as high as eight points at 23-15. Senior, Taylor Martinez, sealed the deal with a smash, and Churchill had won the all important first set.

The Woodlands started out where they left off in the second set and were slow in getting going, as the Chargers took a 12-5 lead on a Yasmine Ataee kill. The Woodlands started to rev it up and were able to hang around finally getting even with Churchill at 20. Hannah Hickman came through with two kills in succession off of feeds from Cook, and The Woodlands had their first lead at 22-21. The Lady Highlanders remained hot and conquered the set on a Bella Pinton slam that bounded off the top of the net and found the back left corner.

Set three was all Lady Highlanders from start to finish. With Cook on fire at the service line, The Woodlands jumped to a 10-4 lead on a Courtney Quinn kill. Churchill was able to get within three at 18-15 on an Abby Buckingham kill, but that's when Hickman caught fire with three straight kills. Julia Pasch and Courtney Quinn combined for a huge block to make it 22-15. Pasch added a no-look dump and a block, and when Rachel Reed sent a blast down the middle off of a nice feed from Cook, The Woodlands was up a set.

As set four began it appeared as if the Lady Highlanders were resting on their third set laurels with their flat play. Churchill outside hitter, Bryncaitlin Walker, made them pay with three blocks and two kills in succession, and The Woodlands was in a hole they could not crawl out of at 19-11. The Woodlands finally got it together late in the set and was able to sneak back in it at 23-20 after a Pasch block, a Cook/Reed connection, and a Churchill violation. Hannah Lopez and Walker closed the set out with kills.

All eyes were on The Woodlands as they were in uncharted territory never having gone the distance all season long (same as 2013). The inexperience showed as they quickly went down 4-0, when Cate Buckingham dissected the Lady Highlanders defense with two kills.

Reed came through with a kill with help from Cook. Courtney Quinn then took the team on her back with three kills. Reed added a kill, and before you knew it, it was 8-6 The Woodlands. Churchill tied it up after a Woodlands net violation and a Taylor Martinez kill.

Back and forth it went, and it was tied up at ten after another Walker slam. Two Churchill miscues and a Courtney Quinn smash, and The Woodlands was on top 14-11 in need of just one point.

Walker had other ideas as she drilled two more kills. A Lopez dump and a Woodlands kill going long, Churchill was up 15-14; Coach Leslie Madison called a time out.

"I just told them to leave everything they have on the court." Madison said.

It appears as if her players listened as shortly after play continued, Cook set Pinton up for a kill, and Bella came through knotting it up at 15. Courtney Quinn then sent a blast that hit good wood and the Lady Highlanders were one point from pandemonium. Rachel Reed then sent the Lady Highlanders to the championship with another patented D-1 Reed kill.

Reed had 12 kills, seven digs and six huge blocks. Pinton had nine kills. Julia Pasch had three kills, seven assists, ten digs and four blocks as she continues to leave her mark all over the stat sheet. Hailey Reier had 12 digs. Codi Lee had 12 digs and four assists. Hickman had 11 kills and five digs. Colby Quinn had 14 digs.

For Churchill, York had 39 assists and 15 digs. Walker had 10 kills and 17 digs. Lopez had 13 kills and 13 digs.

The dream for THIS team is one game away.