HS Volleyball: District 13-6A Week Nine Recap

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The standings and playoff teams continue to shake up, with teams battling day in and day out for positioning. The final week of games occurs starting Tuesday the 24th, but a recap of the matches from last week will illustrate the situation for the teams that can push for playoff positioning.

The Woodlands vs. Caney Creek

The Lady Highlanders fought the Caney Creek Lady Panthers with the need for wins if the Woodlands hoped to stay in second place.

With the standings in mind, the Woodlands got to work and dominated their opponents. Scores and statistics are inconclusive, but the Lady Highlanders kept their high level of play against the meddling Lady Panthers. The match was over in straight sets, and the Woodlands took home another win while keeping second place locked down for the time being.

Oak Ridge vs. College Park

Both the Lady Cavs and Lady War Eagles are virtual locks for postseason play, but positing matters for College Park, who need late wins if they want to force a tie situation.

Understanding how important the match was, both teams played with a dramatic intensity that demonstrated the desire for both teams to win. Oak Ridge took the first set behind stellar play from their front row that harassed College Park’s hitters. Coach Collins of the Lady Cavs made clear adjustments that propelled her team forward throughout the rest of the match. Hitters focused on going across the net rather than going straight into the hands of the Oak Ridge blockers.

The adjustments worked, and College Park battled back to win the next three sets. Oak Ridge put up a spirited fight in the final sets that fell just short of forcing more.

Conroe vs. Grand Oaks

In Grand Oaks’ only match of the week, they traveled to face the Conroe Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers kept their opponents within reach in the opening set despite the overwhelming power the Lady Grizzlies possess. The opening set did see the Lady Grizzlies pull away by 11 points, but after Coach Rogers had a chance to make adjustments, Grand Oaks took full advantage. Following the close opening set, the Lady Grizzlies grew their leads to end sets. A 13-point win in the second was followed by a 17-point win to complete the sweep.

The win continues Grand Oaks’ streak of straight wins against district opponents, which currently stands at 45.

New Caney vs. Cleveland

The New Caney Lady Eagles looked to continue Cleveland’s woes with a victory at home against the Lady Indians.

Stats and scores are inconclusive, but the Lady Eagles did notch their second district win against Cleveland. All levels of the New Caney volleyball program won their matches and completed a program sweep of the Lady Indians.

College Park vs. New Caney

Unlike New Caney’s previous opponent, the Lady Cavaliers were going to forcefully claim a win with home-court advantage on their side.

Stats and scores are inconclusive on the match, but the Lady Cavaliers tode great play from their middle-blocker, Lacy Tinnell. The strong hitting that Tinnell provided gave the Lady Cavs a lead that they would hold onto throughout the entire match. Three sets and three victories secured the win for College Park.

With the win in hand, the Lady Cavaliers can claim second place with a win against Conroe on the 24th in straight sets.

Willis vs. The Woodlands

The Willis Ladykats played their first match of the week against the visiting Lady Highlanders.

Once again, stats and scores for individual sets are inconclusive, but the Woodlands got to work in another efficient match. Three sets were all it took for the Lady Highlanders to take home another victory against a district opponent. Winning in straight sets was a crucial fact for the Woodlands, as it requires College Park to win in the same fashion against Conroe.

Caney Creek vs. Oak Ridge

Needing one win to secure their playoff spot, the Lady War Eagles hit the road to play the Caney Creek Lady Panthers.

The two teams played a close opening set that was only taken by Oak Ridge by 11 points. Luckily for the Lady War Eagles, the match got easier for the team as it went on. The opening set was the closest the Lady Panthers came to winning a set. 15-point and 14-point victories in the second and third sets secured a straight-set win for Oak Ridge and locked the team into postseason play with the fourth-place spot in the district.

Cleveland vs. Conroe

The Lady Tigers faced the Lady Indians on the road in a major bounceback game for Conroe.

Conroe claimed a quick 11-point win in the opening set, which may have given a glimpse of home to Cleveland. That hope was proven to be misplaced, as the Lady Tigers imposed their will in the final two sets. Cleveland did not muster double-digit points in the second set and could only score 10 in the third, allowing Conroe to claim a comfortable win.