BY CHUCK LICATA, GMSPORTSMEDIA INSIDER/BIG DADDY MEDIA CEO
Seventeen years.
That’s how long Highland Park High School coach Michael Dearman has been waiting to take the Scots’ volleyball program back to the UIL state championship match.
To quote Dearman in our two conversations this past week: “I really didn’t think it would take that long.”
The good news for Dearman and his talented 2025 squad – that drought ends Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. The Scots (42-8) will battle with A&M Consolidated (37-9) for the Class 5A, Division I state title.
Back to Dearman for a second.
The talented mentor took over the Scots’ program in 2004, one year after Highland Park made its first visit to state (in 2003, HP beat Harlingen South in the 4A state semifinal before losing to Stephenville in the state final).
Dearman kept the program at a high level and eventually got the Scots back to state in 2008, again in UIL’s Class 4A. As they did in 2003, the Scots won their semifinal (this time against Lake Travis) and earned a trip to the championship match.
“In 2008, we had a solid team,” Dearman recalled. “We only had a few losses that year (the Scots finished 39-9). Hereford (the team HP lost to in the finals) only had three losses all year and two of them were to us. In the state championship, we won the first set, 26-24, then lost the second set, 26-24.
“Something happened in that second set that hurt our momentum; to this day I still don’t know what it was. They overpowered us I the third match 25-16; that killed our momentum, and we ended up losing Set 4, 25-10.”
So here we are, 17 years later – and Highland Park’s 2025 roster is stacked with talent.
And height.
Start it off with 6-foot-5 senior middle blocker Lydia Fisher; follow that with 6-4 junior Westlake transfer (and former All-Centex hitter) Allie Hudgins; add in sophomore power-hitting lefty Sarah Floyd; and big-time contributors like 6-1 junior Emily Keogh and 6-0 sophomore Taylor Toomay.
Defensive stalwart Gigi Whann, a senior libero, may stand “only” 5-8 but shores up both a great defense and passing attack.
Dearman told me that throughout this entire playoff run, he’s been hearing from former players and parents. “They’re very excited for me and for the team,” he said. “It’s great to hear from so many people who are sending positive (vibes) for this team.”
“It’s time to close the deal; it’s time to win a state championship.”
