State Championship Preview - Day 1

The highlight of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school volleyball season in the state of Texas, the State Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday at the Curtis Culwell Center, in Garland, and between then and Sunday, the top four teams in each of the six divisions will fight for the state titles.   We'll keep you informed of everything that's happened in Garland for the next four days with multiple articles here at Prep Dig Texas and part of the content we'll provide will be a daily preview, so you always know what's going to happen every single day and what are the prospects that could play big roles for their teams in the most important moment of the season.   Divisions 1A and 2A are the first to get started on Wednesday, so here's all you need to know.   Division 1A - Semifinals   Benjamin vs. D'Hanis - 11 AM   The Benjamin Mustangs have made history this season, advancing to the State Tournament for the first time with a campaign of 32 wins and seven losses that made of them the winners of Region II in the division. A long and athletic lefty, junior middle Valeria Zavala has been one of the most impressive players on the team. She forms Benjamin's core alongside sophomore outside hitter Eryn Cottingham, sophomore middle Pollina Ham and junior right side Celestte Doran.   The D'Hanis Cowboys are back in the State Tournament for the fourth time but are yet to overcome the semifinals. This season, the team produced a 29-13 win record on its way to emerging from Region IV. The Cowboys play a very team-oriented game, but it's impossible to ignore that junior outside hitter Peyton Burell, senior setter Jolie Frosch, senior middle Marbry Herrmann and sophomore libero Kenna Herrmann play with them.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/DHanisAthletics/status/1591624884886843394?s=20&t=4CyEiA9ig6vYJZx6_D52aw </div></figure>   Klondike vs. Blum - 1 PM   The Klondike Cougars from Lamesa are back in the State Tournament for the first time since 1968, when they lost in the Championship Match. This season, they were the top team in Region I with a campaign of 35 wins and 12 losses. Senior middle blocker Bella Stevens has been productive in a variety of different ways from the Cougars and she gets great help from senior outside hitter Izabella Arismendez, junior setter Bailey White and sophomore libero Fallon Warren.   The Blum Bobcats have been a force in the division lately and are set to make their fifth State Tournament appearance in the last six seasons - they are still targeting their first title. This season, the team produced a 31-13 win record to stand out in Region III. Freshman right side [player_tooltip player_id='216856' first='Kinsley' last='McPherson'] has been a great addition to a squad that features several players with State Tournament experience, such as junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='177823' first='Ruby' last='Rumohr'], junior middle [player_tooltip player_id='181962' first='Emma' last='Scott'] and junior libero Kayden Arrington.   Division 2A - Semifinals   Leon vs. Lindsay - 3 PM   The Leon Cougars from Jewett have a long background in the State Tournament, having appeared as many as 29 times, but are making their return after two seasons. To get there, they were the top team in Region III with a campaign of 45 wins and just five losses. A junior, middle Kaitlyn Kirschner has been a force at the net for Leon, who will also count on solid performances from their junior trio of Lanie Goolsby (outside hitter), Breanna Watson (libero) and Megan Page (setter).   The Lindsay Knights will compete in the State Tournament for the fifth time after missing the last three editions. Their 38-9 campaign was good enough to get them through on Region II. A highly-productive senior outside hitter Abigail Hellmann is the centerpiece in Lindsay's playing system, but some other players have very important roles too, such as senior setter Cooper Hartman, senior libero Kyla Metzler and junior middle Mia Hunt.   Windthorst vs. Schulenburg - 5 PM   With 23 State Tournament appearances and 13 state titles, the Windthorst Trojanettes have a solid tradition in the division. They secured their return for the first time since 2015 with a campaign of 39 wins and eight losses that made them dominate Region I. A versatile prospect who can play outside hitter and setter at a very high level, junior Rylee Wolf has been one of the standouts in the Trojanettes' campaign alongside senior outside hitter Tara Tackett and junior middle Abby Schroeder.   The Schulenburg Shorthorns were at the State Tournament for the last time back in 2015, when they won the state title in their third attempt. This season, the team produced a 32-16 campaign to emerge from Region IV. Junior middle Meredith Magliolo, junior libero Kieryn Adams, junior outside hitter Jessalyn Gipson and freshman setter Landry Zapalac are among the team's most promising prospects.

The highlight of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school volleyball season in the state of Texas, the State Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday at the Curtis Culwell Center, in Garland, and between then and Sunday, the top four teams in each of the six divisions will fight for the state titles.