PHOTO: Matt Smith
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
GARLAND – After not closing the match out in the fourth set where Frisco Wakeland lost 30-28, the Wolverines bounced back and edged out Argyle in the fifth to take it 25-13, 21-25, 25-16, 28-30, 15-12 during their Class 5A Division 2 state semifinal on Tuesday night at the Culwell Center.
Wakeland (34-6) will play in its first state championship and takes on Cedar Park (34-15) at 12 pm Saturday from the Culwell Center. It’s the program’s first state appearance and just the second overall for Frisco ISD (Reedy in 2022).
Meanwhile, Argyle ends at 39-6 with a co-district championship in 6-5A and its first state appearance since 2017.
Three Wakeland players had at least 10 kills led by 17 from LSU commit Hannah Lee. Emerson Jones and Bella Wood chipped in 13 and 10 kills while sophomore middle Abby Parkinson had eight kills and a team-high 0.500 hitting percentage.
Breanna Cagle and West Virginia commit Sarah Pfiffner combined for seven of the team’s nine aces.
Pfiffner also had 28 assists and six kills. Aubree Fernandez added 26 digs.
There were four ties in the final set. Argyle took a 5-4 lead on a kill by Jordyn Moore, but Wakeland scored the next three highlighted by a block combo from Lee and Parkinson. Moore and Tulane commit Piper Mickenheim made amazing saves to keep up another rally and the Eagles rallied to even it at 7-all.
The Wolverines pulled away for a 13-10 lead on an ace from Emily Dufresne that led to a timeout. A hitting error by Wakeland and a kill from Harper Hurley got the Eagles within 13-12 before Lee sent down her 17th kill on match point.
Wakeland had a chance to close it out in the fourth, but not before breaking off four set points by Argyle, which led 24-20 and looking to force a decisive game. Wakeland then got three match points before the Eagles broke those. There were 14 ties in the fourth. Moore got a kill attempt at 29-28 and it wasn’t returned.
Argyle had led 6-1 to start the fourth set.
Wakeland began the third set with a 9-1 lead and controlled the game before Pfiffner scored on set point to make it 2-1. The Wolverines also dominated the opener as Parkinson scored on set point to give them a 1-0 edge. Argyle scored six in a row to turn a 14-13 deficit in the second set into a 19-14 lead. Wakeland managed to score the next four to pull within 19-18.
Moore got a block and points by Betsy Zhang and Jorgia Sanchez gave the Eagles a 23-20 lead.
Argyle will graduate eight seniors highlighted by Mickenheim (27 digs) and Moore (18 digs, 18 assists, 21 kills, 0.396 hitting), who will continue playing at Colgate. Moore leads DFW in triple doubles this season.
Galligan came in second with 10 kills and Karsyn Rogers chipped in a team-high 22 assists.
