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Volleyball: Amarillo High wins another state title
Lady Sandies pick up fourth consecutive state championship
SAN MARCOS Amarillo High School’s volleyball team did something new Saturday night while doing something for the fourth consecutive season.
The Lady Sandies, while winning their record fourth consecutive title in the UIL Class 5A State Volleyball Championships, did it by coming back from the brink of a second-place finish in Strahan Coliseum.
Amarillo High survived a match point and beat Austin Westlake 19-25, 25-20, 28-26, 23-25, 16-14 before an announced crowd of 3,468.
Most were stunned when Westlake, ahead 14-13 in the fifth set, missed a serve for a 14-14 tie. Amarillo High (48-3) then won the next two points with kills for the unprecedented fourth consecutive Class 5A title.
“We’re having a hard time wrapping our heads around that, honestly,” Amarillo High head coach Jan Barker said.
Amarillo High also beat Westlake in last year’s final in five sets and had to come back from a 2-1 deficit to do it, but never faced a match point.
The Lady Sandies also beat Westlake in five sets — 17-15 in the fifth — earlier this season to win the Duncanville Tournament of Champions.
Like in that match, Amarillo High senior libero Eden Williams was named the tournament MVP after recording a match-high 25 digs. Williams and 10 other Lady Sandies seniors all completed a four-year run with the state championship trophy staying on campus, though none played as freshmen.
Micah Nolan led Amarillo High with 17 kills, Madelyn Robinett had 14 and Caitlin Wallace had 10, while Danielle Barker had 32 assists and Josalynn Wise had 17.
Jan Barker, who has been the head coach for all eight of Amarillo High’s state titles, said the Lady Sandies had to clean up their passing in order to score against a much-taller Westlake lineup.
“We’re all short, so the only way we can win is by running quick offense,” Barker said. “You can’t do it unless the passes are there and that’s where we were struggling.”
The struggles didn’t last long. There were sloppy moments, but the Lady Sandies of District 2-5A figured out a way to be the best in Texas — for the fourth season in a row.
>> Amarillo High def. Austin Westlake
19-25, 25-20, 28-26, 23-25, 16-14
UIL STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Class 5A Championship
At Strahan Arena, San Marcos
Kills – Westlake: Sara Shaw 23, Paige Caridi 13, Ella Praisner 9, Kenzie Hume 7, Katie Sorenson 5, Hannah Kolar 3, Avery Edwards 3. Amarillo High: Micah Nolan 17, Madelyn Robinett 14, Caitlin Wallace 10, Sheridan Burgess 9, Neely Borger 4, Danielle Barker 3, Michelle Russell 1.
Blocks – Westlake: Hannah Kolar 1.5, Sara Shaw 1.5, Katie Sorenson 1.5, Kenzie Hume 1, Paige Caridi .5. Amarillo High: Neely Borger 2.5, Caitlin Wallace 2, Michelle Russell 2, Micah Nolan 1, Sheridan Burgess .5.
Assists – Westlake: Amanda Welsh 27, Avery Edwards 20. Amarillo High: Danielle Barker 32, Josalynn Wise 17.
Digs – Westlake: Sara Shaw 17, Tessa Hunt 17, Avery Edwards 11, Paige Caridi 10. Amarillo High: Eden Williams 25, Micah Nolan 15, Emily Klein 9, Josalynn Wise 7.
Aces – Westlake: Sara Shaw 5, Amanda Welsh 2, Avery Edwards 1, Tessa Hunt 1. Amarillo High: Micah Nolan 3, Caitlin Wallace 3, Danielle Barker 2, Eden Williams 2, Josalynn Wise 1.
