Class 6A
Region II
Grand Oaks def. Tomball Memorial 25-13, 25-18, 25-15
The junior returned the ball hard into the Tomball Memorial defense and it ricocheted to the side and the Grizzlies were state bound for the first time ever once the final point was counted.
A first-time trip to state was at stake for both teams in the Region II-6A championship, but Grand Oaks, ranked No. 4 in the nation by MaxPreps, picked up the 25-13, 25-18, 25-15 sweep of Tomball Memorial at Lufkin Panther Activity Center.
Grand Oaks (48-1) heads to Garland and Curtis Culwell Center on Friday for the Class 6A final four. Pairings will be announced by the University Interscholastic League Sunday morning.
Grand Oaks had never been past the area round coming into the season. It has now won 22 straight matches, including a four-set win over Sachse in the regional semifinals on Friday.
Tomball Memorial (41-9), which never advanced past the regional quarterfinals since the program opened in 2011, saw its best season end. The Wildcats had won 20 straight matches coming in, including a five-set thriller over Wylie East on Friday in the semifinals.
The first set featured four ties and three lead changes over the first nine points
Then Grand Oaks created separation.
A spike by Coleman started an 8-1 run that Tomball Memorial never recovered from.
Coleman had six kills in the first set while Halle Thompson added five kills, including the set clincher right down the sideline.
Avery Craig and Amber Craig helped Tomball Memorial take its biggest lead of the afternoon 17-14 in the second set.
Grand Oaks spoiled that confidence boost by taking 11 of the next 12 points, including a 10-0 run of Thompson serving. Coleman, Jaela Auguste, Caelyn Emmerling each contributed points during the stretch.
Coleman put down the winning kill as the junior kept Grand Oaks in contention in the early stages of the set.Â
Thompson established herself back at the service line to start the third set and started hitting the ball over point by point toward history.
Grand Oaks went up 6-0 and that ballooned to a 16-3 lead. Tomball Memorial evened things out, but never got closer than 10 points before Coleman clinched the state tournament berth with the final point.
Grand Oaks became the third different Conroe ISD program to reach the state final four in the past decade and it follows The Woodlands, which went to Garland last year for the fifth time. Oak Ridge has also made three previous trips to state.
There was a coaching connection to Saturday’s match. Grand Oaks head coach Morgan Rogers opened Tomball Memorial in 2011 as the first head coach before moving to Grand Oaks in 2018 when the school opened.
Tomball Memorial coach Sydney Lynch was a member of Rogers’ original coaching staff and has been with the Wildcats for 13 years. She became head coach in 2020.
Class 5A
Region III
Fulshear def. Montgomery 25-17, 25-10, 25-16
Montgomery’s incredible playoff run concluded Friday evening via a 25-17, 25-10, 25-16 sweep to Fulshear in the Region III-5A semifinals at Merrell Center.
Montgomery (32-19) saw its seven-match win streak come to an end as it made the regional tournament for the first time since 2013.
Delaney Wright had eight kills for the Bears while Grace Ellis had four. Kaysie Lynch added 14 assists and five digs. Ellie Sadler led in digs with nine.
Montgomery earned two wins to close out District 21-5A late last month to force a tiebreaker scenario with Lake Creek, Magnolia and Magnolia West for the final two spots. Montgomery won its tiebreaker match with Magnolia and then defeated Lake Creek in a seeding match.
From there the Bears beat Killeen Ellison, Georgetown and Brenham in tough matches to reach the Sweet 16.
