BY BRIAN GOSSET
Leslie Jackson and her Southlake Carroll Dragons are headed to the UIL volleyball state semifinals after taking down Flower Mound in straight sets, 25-22, 25-18, 25-20 during the Class 6A D1 Region 1 final on Tuesday at Thomas Coliseum.
Flower Mound (36-9) came in #2 in the TGCA 6A D2 state rankings with Carroll close behind at #4. The Dragons are off to the state semifinals for just the third in program history and first since 2012.
Carroll (33-5), winners of 12 straight matches, will play its semifinal game Saturday back at Thomas Coliseum in Haltom City.
Kinsley Young, one of seven Dragons to sign letters of intent on Wednesday, scored the first two points. Young is committed to TCU. Teddy-Raye Ewers (Incarnate Word) made it 3-0 in the opening set.
Layla Austin (San Diego State) served an ace to give SLC an 8-4 advantage. Austin and Young pushed the lead to 3 and then SLC got set points on a kill from Emma Eyster (Oklahoma Christian).
The Dragons got it up to 10-6 in the second set to force a timeout from the Jaguars. Young then scored back to back for a 13-9 lead. SLC’s edge went up to 6 at 23-17 when Austin picked up a kill in the back row.
Young, Austin and Eyser continued to put pressure on Flower Mound in the third set. Audree Hughes and Ewers made it 10-5. Time was running out on the Jags as SLC’s lead went to 18-11. Austin’s kill pushed it to 21-14. Young gave the Dragons match point.
Other Dragons signing on Wednesday include Lauren St. Charles (Trinity University), Charlise Smith (Texas Woman’s) and Abby Huddleston (A&M Corpus Christi).
