DEARMAN & SCOTS MAKE MOST OF LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO STATE TOURNEY
BY CHUCK LICATA, GMSPORTSMEDIA INSIDER/CEO, BIG DADDY MEDIA
Photo by Matt Smith / Matt’s Photography
Highland Park High School varsity volleyball coach Michael Dearman – as nice a guy as you’re ever going to meet – will tell anyone who listened he “miscalculated” getting his team to the UIL state tournament.
Translation: Back in 2008, Dearman – who started at Highland Park High School four years earlier – took the Scots to the state finals. The Scots, who battled Lake Travis hard for five sets before coming away with a 17-15 victory in Set 5, would fall to Hereford in four sets (24-26, 26-24, 25-16, 25-10) what was then the Class 4A state championship match.
As Dearman admitted to me in a GMSportsmedia article earlier this month: “After that tournament, I was convinced we’d be back at state pretty quickly. But a coaching friend had told me it’s not that easy to get there, so don’t be surprised if it takes some time to get back.”
Seventeen years later, the Scots finally reached the Promised Land. And boy, did the Scots make their presence felt.
Dearman’s squad fought off a scrappy (but obviously, outmanned) A&M Consolidated squad in three sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-17) in the Class 5A, Division I championship and claim the volleyball program’s first state title in three attempts at the state tournament.
The Scots (43-8) finish the 2025 season with 21 consecutive victories, including a state semifinal victory over Aledo, the team ranked #1 in most state polls going into the Final Four. A&M Consolidated finishes 37-10.
“It’s a humbling experience,” Dearman said in the post-match press conference. “I’ve been coaching for many years. Early on, we took Highland Park to the state championship (in 2008) and I was convinced we’d be back at state many, many times after that.
“I will tell you, I took nothing for granted this season. This team is special; we wanted to make sure we left no stone unturned. This team had a family atmosphere this year. They truly love each other and the coaches love them. I’m thankful for everything that’s happened this season and everyone who’s worked hard to get us here.”
Truth be told: the Scots may have, up-and-down the roster, the deepest roster of any team at state.
The obvious strength of the Scots was the front line. Senior Brooklyn Bailey (6-foot tall) was amazingly athletic while fellow senior Lydia Fisher (6-5) was a solid presence. Add in 6-4 junior Allie Hudgins – a move-in stud from Westlake High School who’s a former All-Centex first teamer – plus sophomore Sarah Floyd (an unstoppable lefty hitter). And, throw in Taylor Toomay, a 6-footer who may have been underrated because of her court presence and awareness – not to mention she slams kills at amazing speeds.
But other main contributors to the squad were junior setter Anna Lee (who stood all of 5-4) and senior libero Gigi Whann (5-8). Lee, admitted Dearman, was NOT allowed to block up front, but, as he chuckled, “she would show everyone her blocking skills in practice!” Lee wasn’t just someone who fed assists to her tall front line; she was a smart, court-savvy setter who had good hands and played good defense.
Speaking of defense – give kudos to Whann, one of the most talented and underrated liberos in the state, let alone the DFW area. She made digs during the state finals match that had media members gawking. I did a story about Whann after the preseason Northwest ISD Classic and she lived up to every expectation this season.
Floyd was named the state finals MVP, hammering a match-high 14 kills to go along with two total blocks, five digs, a service ace and an assist. Hudgins tallied 11 kills and nine digs while Toomay blasted eight kills, made eight digs and had an ace. Lee tallied a double-double, with 38 assists and 10 digs.
Other HPHS contributors included Bailey (nine kills and two blocks); Whann (match-high 18 digs, match-high three aces and four assists); Fisher (two kills and one block); and Marlee Roehm (one dig).
Leading the way for A&M Consolidated was Harper Korenek (team-high 11 digs with eight kills, two blocks and two assists); Jillian Vinal (12 assists, eight kills, five digs, one block and one ace); Kendall Newton (12 assists, seven digs, one ace); Julia Dewitt (four kills and one dig); and Presley Johnson (seven digs and three assists).
