VOLLEYBALL: The Lady Highlanders defeat Montgomery in a 3-2 thriller in first round of playoffs

MONTGOMERY, Texas — Montgomery saw the end of their season as they were defeated by The Woodlands 3-2 in the opening round of district playoffs.

Montgomery took control of the first set with a definite, but close 25-22 victory. The Woodlands was quick to respond in the following set with a wider gap in their 25-15 win, proving to Montgomery that should they go down, it would not be an easy defeat.

“Everybody wants to win,” The Woodlands head coach Terri Wade said. “Nobody wants to end their season now, so from here on out starting tonight everybody’s giving their best. I know that we have more to give, but then again we’re being pushed by somebody else’s best.”

The third set was a tough one for both teams, but with Montgomery’s fire and fierce crowd supporting them on their home court, they got the best of the Lady Highlanders and took back the lead with a 26-24 set win. Wade said that throughout their season, the opponents’ large crowds have made matches difficult for them.

“It’s not just us fighting the other team or us fighting ourselves, but then the crowd is a big factor in the game too,” Wade said. “We’ve had to push through and stay focused, and when we have an error, maybe one after another, we’ve had a little trouble regaining our focus. In a way, it’s just a big victory in that, that through all of that, them fighting our weakness in that area that we could still win the game.”

The Lady Highlanders came back in the final two sets with 25-20 and 15-13 victories led by Hannah Hickman with two aces and 22 kills for the entire match.

“Hannah was very key tonight,” Wade said. “I feel like her intensity pulled us through that match just because she did get in there and get fired up , and you need that against the crowd, and you need somebody to return when the other team has big plays like that, and she’s the one to do that for us.”

Although they celebrated their hard fought victory and their opportunity to move on in the playoffs, Wade said that after their game against Montgomery, the girls have a little ways to go before their next round of matches when they face Round Rock Westwood at Brenham High School Friday at 7 p.m.

“I think it’s definitely a match that let us know that people are going to be their best, and we definitely have to step up,” Wade said. “We have to play better, and we’re going to have to want to win it more. I’m not saying that we don’t want to win, but we’re just going to have to bring out some more intensity in our plays.”