By Michael Adams
michael@otssports.com

LIBERTY HILL — Watch one minute of a Liberty Hill volleyball game and what will quickly stand out is there are no standouts. There isn’t superstar or one player opponents can key on. If opponents focuses on one player, there’s five more that can beat them.

It’s the perfect formula for team chemistry to cause a championship reaction.

“We’re all super close,” said senior outside hitter Kealy Dirner. “We don’t see one person as better than another. We all are capable of doing great things at any moment, and I think that’s why we can beat anyone.”

The Lady Panthers’ team motto is “No ego, amigo,” and its what has taken this team back to the University Interscholastic League Class 5A state volleyball tournament for the second straight season.

More coverage 

• Video: See highlights from Liberty Hill’s regional final victory
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• Story: The Monday Blitz: Marie Bruce enhances winning culture at Liberty Hill
• Parings: Complete pairings for this weekend’s UIL state volleyball tournament

“We all just really support each other really well, which is a big thing” said junior outside hitter Taylor Gaines. “We have what we call bracelet buddies, which we celebrate that person each day. We don’t play for ourself, we play for the person next to us. So if someone is have a really good game, we celebrate that and not worry about ourself.”

It’s that chemistry and cohesive bond that is the signature of head coach Marie Bruce, who’s in her second year at the helm of the Lady Panthers volleyball program.

Liberty Hill (45-8) has a pretty tough task waiting for them in the Class 5A semifinals on Friday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland – defending 5A state champion Colleyville Heritage (40-15). Junior outside hitter Annie Witt, who hit the match-winning kill to send the Lady Panthers back to the stat tournament, said the team isn’t intimidated going up against a powerhouse program like Heritage.

“They have a really good right-side hitter, who’s going to get good kills,” Witt said. “If we play our game and do what we know we can, we’ll be just fine.”

Should Liberty Hill defeat the reigning Class 5A champion in Friday’s semifinal, it will be the first time the Lady Panthers will have played in a state championship match at any level.

Former head coach Gretchen Peterson led Liberty Hill to three Class 4A state tournaments in her longtime tenure at the school, which moved up to Class 5A in 2020. However, in each of those three state tournament appearances in 2014, 16 and 17, the Lady Panthers lost in the semifinals.

“I think if we stay calm and collected, like we did against Rouse, we can be successful,” said junior middle blocker Evie Bruce, who also plays basketball at Liberty Hill. “With all of our work that we’ve put in to get here, we definitely have a chance.”

Witt echoed Bruce’s optimism and added, “we’ve been on this stage before.”

“We’ve definitely gotten more mature and can handle big student sections and big gyms,” Witt saidl “The pressure isn’t really there anymore. I think we’re more prepared. The support of our community is really special, and it means a lot to us, so we want to bring home a state championship.”

Class 5A state tournament schedule

Semifinals (Friday)

Game 1: Liberty Hill (45-8) vs. Colleyville Heritage (40-10), 11 a.m.

Game 2: Lamar Fulshear (40-4) vs. Lucas Lovejoy (32-10), 1 p.m.

Championship (Saturday)

Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 3 p.m.