By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
As the clock strikes midnight on Wednesday, 2025 will be in the past. Here’s a look at the 10 stories that defined the year in sports around South Central Texas.
1. Texas A&M’s improbable run to a national championship
Texas A&M’s road to the NCAA volleyball national title didn’t bend. It collided head-on with the sport’s elite programs.
It started with Louisville, where the Aggies rallied from a two-set deficit to survive and advance. Then came Nebraska, the No. 1 overall seed, inside one of the toughest venues in college volleyball. Texas A&M didn’t flinch, matching physicality and controlling the late moments to pull off a defining win.
The run continued in the national semifinals against Pittsburgh, another No. 1 seed built on speed and balance. This time, there was no drama just dominance. Texas A&M swept Pitt in straight sets, signaling that the Aggies were no longer scraping by. They were ascending.
In the final, the Aggies overwhelmed SEC champion Kentucky with pressure, discipline and confidence, cruising through the final two sets to complete another sweep of a No. 1 seed. Three No. 1 seeds. Two sweeps. On the sport’s biggest stage.
2. Cedar Park’s championship pedigree
Cedar Park’s athletic teams brought home two state championships in 2025 – one in volleyball and one in soccer.
In November, one year after falling in the UIL volleyball state final, the Timberwolves completed its climb to the top of Class 5A, sweeping Argyle 26–24, 25–22, 27–25 to claim the program’s first state championship at the Curtis Culwell Center.
Cedar Park, who reached last year’s title match before losing to Frisco Wakeland, closed out their redemption run behind senior outside hitter Joy Udoye, who was named the game’s most valuable player after finishing with 13 kills, 22 receptions and seven digs.
In April, Meredith Koltz and the Timberwolves dominated ended Frisco Wakeland’s 54-game unbeaten streak and claimed the school’s firs state soccer championship. Koltz was the game’s most valuable player after her two first half goals gave Cedar Park a commanding 3-0 lead.
3. Liberty Hill wins soccer title after Highland Park forced to forfiet
Liberty Hill fans hung a sign behind the boys soccer team’s bench that read, “’til the end.” The Panthers didn’t expect the end to come hours after the conclusion of their Class 5A Division II state championship game with Highland Park.
The UIL announced late that evening that Highland Park self-reported that an ineligible player played in the state final Friday against Liberty HIll, a game the Scots won 2-0.
In a press release sent at 10 p.m. Friday night, the UIL stated that Highland Park staff discovered the ineligible player following the conclusion of the game. After an investigation by Highland Park administration, the ineligibility was confirmed. The Scots forfeited the title and Liberty Hill was named the Class 5A Division II state champions.
4. Smithson Valley wins second straight football state championship
Smithson Valley head coach Larry Hill took 32 years to win a Texas high school football state championship. A year later, Hill won his second straight.
Smithson Valley capped another dominant season Friday night with a 28-6 win over Frisco Lone Star to claim its second straight Class 5A Division I state championship at AT&T Stadium.
5. Austin Achieve boys soccer wins school’s first state title in any sport
The now graduated Fredy Lozano will have the best story to tell his children one day.
The Austin Achieve forward became a school legend Thursday when he scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute to give the Polar Bears the Class 4A Division II boys soccer state championship. It was the school’s first state championship in any sport.
Gainesville controlled the game in the first half despite seven shots by Austin Achieve. The Polar Bears dominated the second half on both sides of the field. Austin Achieve’s defense held the Leopards without a shot on goal while getting five on goalkeeper Leonardo Martinez.
6. Vandegrift and Wimberley take home Lone Star Cups
Austin-area schools Vandegrift (Class 6A) and Wimberley (Class 4A) won the 2024-25 Lone Star Cups for their respective classification. Standings will become final on July 1.
The UIL Lone Star Cup is awarded annually to six high schools – one in each of the six UIL classifications – based on their team performance in district and state championships. The winning schools in each classification will receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship.
Vandegrift had a remarkable athletic year. Th football team won the 2024 Class 6A Division II state championship and won a district championship, while the volleyball team reaching the state semifinals and also won a district championship.
Wimberley’s baseball team reaching the Class 4A Division II championship game pushed the Texans past Celina and Canyon Randall to claim the 4A cup by one-half point. Wimberley finished with 160.5 points while Celina finished second with 160 and Randall finished third with 103.5. It’s the Texans’ first Lone Star Cup win since 2000.
7. LOVB Austin wins League One championship in inaugural season
Former Texas Longhorn Madisen Skinner has never lost in a championship match.
That streak continued as Skinner and LOVB Austin swept Omaha 25-19, 25-22, 25-23 in April to win the inaugural League One Volleyball championship.
LOVB Austin, the fifth seed, entered Sunday’s final after pulling a reverse sweep twice in the quarterfinals on Thursday and again Friday in the semifinals.
No miracles were needed on Sunday as LOVB Austin dominated from first serve and led nearly every statistical category. The champions out-blocked sixth-seeded Omaha 16-3 and hit 143 points higher (.360 – .217 attack efficiency). Austin setter Carli Lloyd earned player of the match honors with 45 assists, nine digs and six points.
8. Texas State accepts invitation to join Pac-12 Conference
The Texas Stare University System Board of Regents in July authorized Texas State University to pay the Sun Belt Conference a $5 million exit fee and accept a membership invitation from the Pac-12 Conference.
The Bobcats will officially join the conference on July 1 and begin athletic competition in the 2026-27 school year.
With the addition of Texas State, the rebranded Pac-12 will meet the NCAA’s minimum requirement of eight football-playing members to maintain its Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) status and eligibility for the College Football Playoff. Texas State will join founding member Oregon State, longtime member Washington State and fellow newcomers Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State and San Diego State as football members. Gonzaga will participate in all sports except football.
“This is a historic moment for Texas State and Bobcat athletics,” Texas State President Dr. Kelly Damphousse said in a press release. “Joining the Pac-12 is more than an athletic move – it is a declaration of our rising national profile, our commitment to excellence and our readiness to compete and collaborate with some of the most respected institutions in the country.”
9. Girls flag football makes its debut at area high schools
Friday night lights have a new meaning at The Pfield in Pflugerville in the spring as girls flag football teams from nine high schools face off in the inaugural season of the Pflugerville/Round Rock ISD league as part of a pilot program to grow the sport in Texas.
Through a partnership with the NFL’s Houston Texans, the league featured two weeks of games and a tournament. Austin ISD had a similar partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and held a tournament for teams at its 13 schools.
Girls flag football is already gaining popularity all over the United States. There are currently 18 state high school athletic associations that sanction girls flag football as a varsity sport, including Florida, California and New York.
Both leagues will return in 2026 with more schools joining in on the growth of this sport.
10. Longtime LBJ basketball coach Freddie Roland retires
Freddie Roland was LBJ’s head boys basketball coach for nearly three-decades. In June, Roland announced his retirement after leading the Jaguars to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals in what would be his final season.
Roland, 77, was unsure of his future after LBJ’s loss to Houston Washington in the semifinals, saying “I don’t know, I may still have one left in me.” He took over the basketball team in 1996 and won 26 district championships, while making five state tournament appearances and reaching the 2009 state championship game.
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