End of Season Team Recap: Vol. 3

<p>We are recapping four teams in each volume, how their seasons went, and a couple players from each team that stood out. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Bishop Kelley-</strong> What a year for the Comets! Even after bumping up to the largest class in the state, they make it all the way to the semis of the state championships. They got there by starting hot and ending even hotter. The Comets started the first two weeks 6-1, with five of those wins being to top 10 teams. Four of those five went on to make it to the state tournament. They ended the season winning 15 of their last 16 games. Once they made it to state, teams were giving them everything they had. Owasso pushed BK to the 5th set and all the way to 24-22 in that fifth set. It was a great game to watch. Players like <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="156860" first="Curry" last="Kendall"]</span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Brooke Goen</span> were looked to take the big swings and they delivered. They met Jenks in the semis, who again pushed them all the way to the 5th set. This time, the eventual state champs, got the best of BK 7-15. Other players who did a great job for them were, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="145984" first="Jessica" last="Shildt"]</span> in the back row, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="156846" first="Kate" last="Schneeberg"]</span> setting and attacking second balls, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="145966" first="Megan" last="Roy"]</span> leading the charge at the net. The Comets had a great season. Most of the Comets top players will be returning next season and they will be hungrier than ever to get that state title. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sapulpa- </strong>Last season was the first time in school history for the Chieftains to make it to state. They had a young crew then, and this year being older and more seasoned, they were one of the favorites to make it. Although they are in class 5A, they play in the brutal Frontier Valley Conference with 6A schools in the Tulsa area. These tough games litter their schedule and help prepare them for the post season. They punched their ticket to state this season at home, beating Will Rogers and Shawnee, rather than having to go on the road and get the upset like last year at Piedmont. They matched up with the #3 seed Carl Albert Titans in the first round, who would eventually make it to the state championship. Players like <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="156857" first="Tyla" last="Heard"]</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="144093" first="Ryann" last="Hoey"]</span>, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stailee Heard</span> gave them constant hitting options and a big block up front. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="144093" first="Ryann" last="Hoey"] was selected to the large east All-State team, Staille Heard was a FVC 1st team All-Conference selection, and [player_tooltip player_id="156857" first="Tyla" last="Heard"] is someone who will likely be finding her way into that type of </span>recognition<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> next season. Coach Harp took over three </span>seasons ago<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> and has now made two </span>straight<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> state </span>appearances<span style="font-size: 1rem;">. He has them believing and </span>achieving<span style="font-size: 1rem;">!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Union- </strong>Coach Mckee started the year 4-5 in the first nine games, but all five losses were to top 10 teams and they also beat Bishop Kelley in that stretch. This started them behind the 8-ball in terms of the rankings. They went on to finish the season winning 19 out of 23 games. They had a huge front row that could compete with anyone in the state. Players like [player_tooltip player_id="144094" first="Mia" last="Martin"], [player_tooltip player_id="144105" first="Tierney" last="Jackson"], [player_tooltip player_id="144141" first="Madison" last="LaPointe"], and [player_tooltip player_id="144092" first="Amiyah" last="Norwood"] all gave Union a solid block on top of the already solid hitting power. Look for them to continue to reload in one of the largest school districts in the state and to not shy away from tough competition. They are always a solid team that does well in the Frontier Valley Conference and is a scary team come regionals. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Deer Creek- </strong>The Antlers had another very successful season. They were ranked top 5 nearly all season long. They ended with a 23-8 record. They were led by a very cerebral player in All-State selection, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="144120" first="Cameron" last="Turner"]</span>. She was their 5-1 setter and will be playing college volleyball at SWOSU next season. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="144090" first="Mazi" last="Watson"]</span> did a great job of handling out of system balls and putting pressure on the opposing team's defense. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Madi Manning</span> at libero was a hustler! She would work hard on every ball and sacrifice her body to make sure it didn’t touch the ground. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="145979" first="Jenna" last="Houk"]</span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="145986" first="Julia" last="McLendon"] </span> are both players that will be returning next season and could be a big reason why they make it back to the state tournament in 2022.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>