FLOWER MOUND RIDES 23-3 STREAK GOING INTO UIL PLAYOFFS
BY CHUCK LICATA, CEO/BIG DADDY MEDIA / VOLLEYBALL INSIDER FOR GMSPORTSMEDIA
The Flower Mound Jaguars had one of the state’s longest winning streak until Friday (Oct. 24) when they lost a 5-6A match at Hebron. The result locked both Jamie Siegel’s Jags (13-1 in 5-6A, 33-8 overall) and Rachel Buckley’s Hawks (13-1, 26-11) for a share of the district championship.
A quick disclaimer here. I’ve been fortunate enough to know Jamie Siegel – and when you know Jamie, you know her husband, Brian, whom I call “the best volleyball coach not to be coaching high school volleyball.” They’re both very intense and passionate when it comes to the sport – but they’re also both very generous with their time.
Before Friday’s loss at Hebron, I talked to Jamie, who bluntly admitted, “I didn’t know we had won 22 matches in a row.” What she’s saying – Jamie, on Oct. 22, hadn’t digested the fact her team hadn’t lost a match since late August.
Believe me, that’s the God’s-honest truth with Jamie, who has a dazzling 16-year head coaching record of 551-170 overall, including a 259-67 mark at Flower Mound. Coaching “one match at a time” may be a popular cliché, but it’s a life commandment for Jamie Siegel, who guided the Jags to the Class 6A state title in 2018.
“Game-by-game is how I coach; I don’t pay attention to (win streaks). I only look at the next opponent,” Jamie told me over the phone. “Over the course of the season, I’m proud of the girls and how they adjusted. This group does what it needs to do to win”
As mentioned, Siegel guided the Jags to the program’s first state title in 2018 – ironically, that was her first season at Flower Mound.
So, I did my due diligence (and that “media thing”) and asked Jamie to compare this team to the 2018 state champ crew.
“To be honest, they’re really two completely different types of teams – mostly because I coached them differently,” revealed Jamie, who has one son, Steele. “The 2018 group, I coached them every single night hard.
“(With) this year’s team, I’m more of that calm voice during matches because they play better when they’re calm. They know if I get excited during a timeout, then they need to step up. With this group, (my motto is) calm breeds calm.”
Siegel said there was one obvious trait that both teams of student-athletes had in common.
“Both teams truly love each other,” stated Siegel, whose coaching record at Flower Mound is currently 258-67, including a 19-6 playoff mark. “This group really pushes for each other and roots for each other. If there’s a mistake, they take care of it themselves right away by direct communication. They want team recognition over personal/individual recognition.
“They buy in and trust me and each other. They stay positive with each other.”
The Lady Jags will begin their 2025 playoff run Thursday, Oct. 30 against Plano High School. Considering the squad has gone 23-3 in its last 26 matches, it’s easy to see how the Lady Jags might extend their season for a few weeks.
