After earning the district championship title and becoming regional quarterfinalists, the volleyball team finished their season with a record of 29-16. The girls beat Plano Senior High in just three sets to achieve the district title.

“We all had our minds set to [district],” junior Sheridan Ralston said. “We didn’t have a lot of drama on the side because we were all focused and worked together and just all set our minds to state.”

Head volleyball coach Kelly Gregoriew said she was impress with how the girls played in the district game.

“They played awesome, they played clean,” Gregoriew said. “They basically put [Plano Senior] to shame.”

For the past four years, the team has earned the bi- district title but has not had a district title since 2003.

“We decided that winning was something that we wanted to do,” senior Hannah Walsh said. “I think that once everybody was on the same page we really went after it and did great.”

Hannah Walsh said that their change in training methods this year helped a lot in their season.

“At first it was hard, and I didn’t like it, but after a couple of weeks, everybody could see the difference in our strength and our endurance,” Walsh said.

Instead of having a study hall during the class period on game days, the girls trained. They also had more Saturday practices and started watching game film after school.

“We communicated a lot better, had a lot more effort towards every single ball and focused on being a good team instead of just working individually,” Ralston said.

There are four seniors graduating, while the rest of the team will return in 2014. Gregoriew said the younger girls are capable of filling the seniors’ shoes.

“We [have] been working in training to fill some of those holes,” Gregoriew said. “We [have] got great size, great kids ready to step in. I expect good things.”

Gregoriew said she told the girls all through district that it was going to come down to fewer errors. That situation came about when the Woodlands defeated them in the regional quarterfinals. She also said there is no reason they should not be on the same path next year after another district title.

“I want to watch [the underclassmen] play on the state floor next year,” senior Katie Ingle said. “That would be so awesome to be able to come back and watch them win state.”

story by Callie Anderson // assistant online editor