By Brian Gosset
JUSTIN – There’s Decatur then there’s PLAYOFF DECATUR.
Meeting for the fourth time this season, Decatur bested Springtown and ended the Porcupines’ magical year in four sets, 25-20, 25-19, 23-25, 25-14 during the Class 4A D1 Region 1 Championship on Monday night at Northwest HS.
Decatur (39-7) moves on to the Class 4A D1 state semifinals and awaits Tuesday’s winner between Celina (20-24) vs Lindale (32-14) at Rockwall-Heath HS. The Eagles are in the state semis for the seventh time in program history – all starting in 2013. In the previous six trips, the team has gone on to win the state championship.
Decatur will play Celina or Lindale on Saturday Nov. 15 from Wilkerson-Greines Center in Fort Worth.
Last season, Decatur knocked off Celina and Bellville to win its sixth state title.
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Ryleigh Strickland followed up a Decatur error with a big solo block and the Pines scored the first two points of the match. But Springtown committed three errors in a row and Decatur went ahead 5-4. The Eagles made it five straight and then led 11-6 to force a timeout from Pines’ coach Abby Zipoy.
Decatur served up an ace for a seven-point lead and sophomore middle Sayler Peck had one of her many blocks on the night to give the Eagles a 17-10 advantage. Junior outside star Libby Tedder, who finished the regular season among the top kill producers in the DFW metroplex, picked up a point off an overpass. However, Decatur was the first to 20 and was up by eight before finishing off Springtown 25-20.
The Eagles started off with a 5-2 lead in the second set after a big time block, but Tedder’s top spin presented trouble for the Decatur serve receive. An ace from Tedder tied it at 7-7. Springtown continued to lead, but when Decatur went up 15-14 – that was it for the Pines in the second game.
Six straight points gave coach Stormi Snider’s squad a 20-14 lead. Springtown was able to pull within half that at 21-18 before the Eagles scored four of the next five points for a 25-19 lead and 2-0 edge in the match.
Springtown’s best game came in the third – featuring a 7-2 start.
Decatur, however, would come back and led 15-14. But this time, the Pines fought back. Addy Burtnett scored back to back points for Springtown – leading to a 23-22 lead and timeout from Snider. The Pines fed Tedder, of course, on set point as she put it away for a 25-23 win – cutting the margin to 2-1.
But time was running out for Springtown in the fourth, scoring only 14 points.
The Pines came into the night having not dropped a set in the past month.
Ava Green had back to back big blocks to put the Eagles up 13-7. The lead stayed around 5, 6 and 7 – then Harper Smith got an electrifying block for a Decatur 18-13 lead. The Eagles scored the final six points and 7 of 8 to finish off their district counterparts. Green and Peck combined to score the final three points to send the state champs back to the semifinals.
They also went to the semis in 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
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Meanwhile, Springtown ends with a stellar 43-10 record for one of its best seasons in program history. It was the Porcupines’ deepest playoff run since 2013 and a win Monday would have clinched their first state semifinal berth since going back to back in 1994 and 1995.
Since MaxPreps starting tracking volleyball in 2007, the 43 wins are their highest mark since winning 32 games in 2013 – the last time they made four rounds deep.
The two teams entered the night with Springtown ahead 2-1.
Decatur won the first meeting 3-0 while Springtown won 3-1 during the second round of District 7-4A. Both were tied for second place in the standings after the regular season and first in the D1 bracket.
The Pines swept the seeding game to take the #1 seed.
Springtown beat out FW Eastern Hills, Lubbock Frenship Memorial and Andrews to reach Monday’s regional championship.
