The Woodlands extends volleyball reign at Clear Falls' expense

GARLAND - Last year was special.

The Woodlands Highlanders were a machine, dominating one opponent after another. In the end, they won a state title, national championship and saw every team in their volleyball program finish undefeated.

Five players from that 45-0 varsity team are now playing in college.

And still, The Woodlands remains the best team in Texas, capping off the season by beating Clear Falls 25-22, 25-22, 21-25, 27-25 at the Culwell Center to successfully defend its state championship.

"Last year, we made history; it was unbelievable and I love those kids," The Woodlands coach Leslie Madison said. "But this one was a little bit harder - more difficult. You had the doubt, but it's special.

"It was motivating, but our kids thought they could from day one. They never thought they couldn't. Our theme going in was 'New team, same dream.' "

Saturday also made history for the Houston area, which endured a 12-year volleyball title drought until The Woodlands' 2013 crown.

It was the first all-Houston final in the state's largest classification (now 6A) and the first of any kind since Bellville and Sealy met for the 3A title in 1996.

Setter Cook the MVP

The Woodlands (40-3) became the first Houston-area team to win consecutive titles in the state's largest class since Clear Lake (1983-84).

As good as the Highlanders were, graduation and two early-season losses in tournament play brought questions from the outside and saw the team fall in the state rankings. A third loss came during district play, but The Woodlands slowly made its climb back to the top.

"No one really thought that we would come back," said senior setter Kendall Cook, a reserve last season and the championship game's MVP after finishing with 43 assists, nine kills and eight digs. "So coming back and proving everybody wrong - even with that target on our back - is so surreal. I couldn't imagine any better way of going out my senior year."

Clear Falls, which lost in the 5A semifinals last season, ended its year at 33-11. Just like The Woodlands, the Knights had doubters. They finished third in district and were pushed to four sets or more three times before getting to state.

"It says a lot for the drive that these girls have," Clear Falls coach Lyndsay Hodges said. "It's funny. Every time somebody says 'the third-place team from our district,' it makes us smile. Yes, we were third and now we're second in the state.

"We took some time to get some things together, but these girls have amazing fight, amazing heart and did a great job getting here."

That drive nearly pushed The Woodlands to a fifth set.

The Highlanders fought off two Clear Falls set points before an attack error prevented the sweep and kept the Knights' dream alive. They took that momentum into the fourth set, jumping out to leads of 5-1, 9-5 and 17-14.

Ashlynn Dunbar and Alyssa Enneking led the Clear Falls attack, combining for 49 of the team's 55 kills. Dunbar broke a 22-22 tie and later put down two more kills to make it 25-24 Knights.

But Clear Falls didn't score again.

Never a doubt

Cook went to Julia Pasch (13 kills) to tie the game and to Bella Pinton (nine kills) for the game-winner. Five Highlanders had seven or more kills, while the defense allowed Clear Falls to score more than four straight points just twice.

"The Woodlands isn't going to let you do that," Hodges said. "They're never going to let you get a run of points, and that's something that I think we've trusted in ourselves that, 'Hey, once we get three, we know we're going to get four and then we're going to get five.' And The Woodlands isn't going to let you."

Added Madison: "Somehow they found a way. We were down game point, and then, all of a sudden, we win the match. They just never doubted."