By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
On Tuesday, seven high school volleyball teams from the Austin area will play in UIL state semifinal games with a chance to play in this weekend’s state championships at the Curtis Calwell Center in Garland.
In prior years, these games would be played as part of the UIL state volleyball tournament in Garland. Instead, semifinals will be played at neutral sites because of the two-division split in all sports.
Austin has never sent this many teams to the state tournament, but saying it’s a record is a bit misguided. The division split has created more opportunities for teams to “go to state” that weren’t there in prior years.
That doesn’t diminish the remarkable achievement of reaching the state semifinals and being one of the best eight teams in your classification.
Regardless, only Dallas has more area teams in the state semifinals than Austin and it’s the difference of two teams. Could this be the year that Austin ends Dallas’ dominance in volleyball?
The Austin area has become a hotbed of high school volleyball talent in recent years. There were 16 volleyball players from the Austin area that signed letters of intent to play volleyball at a Division I program last week. It was the most of any sport by far.
The Austin Sports Journal over the weekend reached out to coaches of the seven teams going to the state tournament, the consensus was that the growth in the Austin area, along with a robust club scene, is a big part of the emergence of Austin as a volleyball power.
“We have had pretty significant population growth in the last few years and that is naturally going to bring some talent with it, which in turn I believe is a reflection of the quality of the education and experience these districts are able to provide,” said Salado head coach Clint Brown. “Also, the sport is just growing in popularity. Club numbers are higher than ever before, and middle school participation is booming. Lastly, you see the effect of iron sharpening iron. As more and more schools continue to produce high-level volleyball, teams are going to continue to challenge either other or push each other to be better each season.”
The Eagles are making their second straight state tournament appearance on Tuesday when they take on Wimberley in a Class 4A Division II semifinal at St. Edwards University in Austin.
Wimberley is returning to the state semifinals for the first time since 2020 and has one of the area’s best all-around players in senior Laney Hennessee, who signed to play at Alabama last week.
First-year Wimberley head coach Misty Fletcher-Remmers said the opportunities available to girls wanting to play has grown by leaps and bounds.
“I’ve grown up in this part of the state and have been around quite a bit of volleyball, but I feel a large part of the success is the opportunities for the players and the commitment they have to the sport,” Fletcher-Remmers said. “The athletes are dedicated and have a will to succeed. They push themselves and seek out opportunities to get better. I also feel the coaching is consistent. Coaches in the Austin area work extremely hard and are constantly looking for ways to improve and work with each other to better the sport.”
Westlake and Georgetown are making their return to the state semifinals for the first time since 2009. Georgetown head coach Jenny Richardson said this year has been a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication from coaches and players.
“Austin has been and will always be a great place for volleyball,” Richardson said. “Look at Westlake’s history. Look at Dripping Springs, Rouse, Cedar Park, us, etc. We all have been to the state tourney a few times in the last 15-years.
“When I first started coaching in Houston, where I am from, I wanted to be a part of an Austin Westlake-like program. We have a lot of programs here that take the volleyball high school experience very seriously. It is nice to see how professionally run so many programs are. The players are outstanding, the coaches, the fans and the school communities all take it seriously. It is great to see.”
UIL state volleyball championship schedule
When: Nov. 21-23
Where: Curtis Calwell Center, Garland
Thursday
Class 1A championship, 3 p.m.
Class 2A-II championship, 5 p.m.
Class 2A-I championship, 7 p.m.
Friday
Class 3A-II championship, 12 p.m.
Class 3A-I championship, 2 p.m.
Class 4A-II championship, 4 p.m.
Class 4A-I championship, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Class 5A-II championship, 12 p.m.
Class 5A-I championship, 2 p.m.
Class 6A-II championship, 4 p.m.
Class 6A-I championship, 6 p.m.
