HIGHLAND PARK/MCKINNEY NORTH HIGHLIGHT POWER DFW MATCHES
BY CHUCK LICATA, GMSPORTSMEDIA VOLLEYBALL INSIDER/CEO, BIG DADDY MEDIA
Note: More information will be added to this story during the day Monday, Nov. 10
As we enter the Monday/Tuesday UIL Texas High School volleyball regional final matches, there’s a good amount of matchups – and teams – that were to be expected.
Although, that may depend on your perspective.
To look at the teams involved in the upcoming matches, it’s easy to see how teams like Highland Park (40-8), McKinney North (36-3), Southlake Carroll (32-5), Argyle (36-3), Lovejoy (32-12, 10-time state champion program), and of course, undefeated Byron Nelson (39-0), are still alive in the playoffs.
Some folks might be surprised to see the likes of Flower Mound (36-8), Frisco Liberty (34-4), Grapevine (24-19) and Celina (20-24) still alive in the playoffs.
Again, it depends on your personal perspective.
The McKinney North and Highland Park match is the Joe Frazier/Mohammed Ali heavyweight fight of the round. The Scots of Highland Park haven’t been to state since 2018; they’ve had some great teams since then but never had the luck. But with the high-powered lineup and talent coach Michael Dearman has, it’s easy to see why they might be favored.
However, the Bulldogs of Libby Rodriguez are fresh off the school’s first-ever trip last season and bring in seven seniors on this year’s squad. They haven’t lost a match since August 23rd (when they lost to Allen), meaning they’ve won 23 straight matches and are the hottest team in the playoffs – outside of Byron Nelson, of course.
Speaking of which: Bri Groth and the Byron Nelson Bobcats have just continued their run from last year, when they won both the Class 6A, Division II state title and the Maxpreps.com national championship. Groth, the all-time Texas high school assists leader as a setter in her high school days at Amarillo, knows all about winning but keeping everything calm and in perspective.
The senior season of Kinsley “Monster in the Middle” Young and Layla “The Rocket” Austin continues, as head coach Leslie Jackson has directed the Lady Dragons to the regional finals. The Lady Dragons haven’t been to the state tournament since 2013 and certainly have the squad to break that drought.
Aledo has been the #1-ranked team in my books – and by the Texas Girls Coaches Association polls – in Class 5A pretty much all season long. Claire Gay and the Lady Cats are a monster team, and they just won a state-title-level match, a four-set win over Amarillo. The Lady Cats are looking to return to the state semis, where they fell to McKinney North last season.
Lovejoy, under the mentorship of Brooke Puckett – sister to former state-champion Lovejoy coach Natalie Puckett-Bates, – certainly is playing with a renewed energy. Word is Brooke changed up rotations in her first match as the coach, and the Leopards beat defending 5A/D2 state champ Wakeland. The Leopards are looking to reclaim a title, as they last secured in 2023 under Natalie.
Lovejoy will take on Frisco Liberty, a squad that’s been consistent all season long. The Redhawks, coached by Eighmy Dobbins, are 34–4 coming into tonight’s matchup. They have signature victories over state powers McKinney North, Argyle, Lovejoy, Bishop Lynch (a 6A TAPPS team which just defeated three-time state champion Prestonwood) and Walnut Grove (twice). Liberty is at its highest playoff level, according to school sources.
