THE FINAL STAGES: Breaking down the UIL Volleyball Regional Finals/TAPPS State Tourney

Grand Oaks Grizzlies vs. The Woodlands Highlanders (6A-D1 Region II)

Surprise, surprise. The Grand Oaks Grizzlies (39-7) have the opportunity to return to the UIL State Tournament.

It's not like we didn't call this match-up in our latest podcast.

Sarcasm aside, the Grizzlies picked up right where they left off last season (UIL-6A Champs if you didn't know), and are in prime position to make their second-straight appearance at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX.

Coach Morgan Rogers' squad is firing on all cylinders, just as they have been all of this Fall -- most recently sweeping Wylie on Tuesday.

The combination of Pittsburgh-signee Samara Coleman (505 kills, 241 digs) and Wisconsin-commit Halle Thompson (440 kills, 247 digs) equates to an offensive barrage that opponents can't seem to contain.

Meanwhile, juniors Samantha Sampson (1,018 assists) and Cali Reece (378 digs) have taken care of the rest, making Grand Oaks a favorite to reach State.

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However, that doesn't mean you should count The Woodlands out just yet.

The Highlanders (37-9) are coming of huge wins against Cy Ranch (3-1) and Rockwall (3-1), to have another crack at defeating one of their most formidable district rivals.

Arizona State-signee Ella Lewis (504 kills, 473 digs) commands coach Terri Wade's stellar roster, with her sister, Abby Lewis (450 kills), providing additional support in the scoring department.

On the back-side of the formation, liberos Cameron McDaniel (831 digs) and Ava Gibbs (318 digs), as well as setters Megan Johnson (710 assists) and Payton Stroud (480 assists), round out one of the scariest rotations in Texas.

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Grand Oaks has a 2-0 advantage against The Woodlands -- albeit in close contests (Game 1: 3-2, Game 2: 3-1) -- but this will still be anyone's game when the two clash at Delmar Fieldhouse Friday night (7:00 pm).

Cinco Ranch Cougars vs. Fulshear Chargers (6A-D1 Region III)

Following an undefeated (16-0) District 19-6A championship, Cinco Ranch proceeded to sweep Alief Taylor, Cy-Fair, and most recently Ridge Point throughout the 2024 playoffs, improving their record to 35-5 on the year.

Under the direction of coach Danielle Wells, the Cougars have flourished in every facet of the game, and it all begins with super-star setter Kassie O'Brien.

The Kentucky-signee is the unquestionable catalyst behind the team's attack, as she has contributed a whopping 1,125 assists and 254 digs thus far, giving play-makers such as California Baptist-signee Gabriella Martinez (515 kills, 293 digs), Nicole Teerman (240 kills), and Addison Goertz (235 kills) ample opportunity to rack up points.

Senior libero Maggie Finnegan has been busy as well, with 444 digs and 109 assists to her name this Fall.

They'll have their work cut out for them when facing the team across the net, though.

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Fulshear (37-6) enjoyed an undefeated (10-0) district title as well, before trouncing Houston heavy-weights such as Seven Lakes (3-1), Bellaire (3-0), and Pearland (3-0) to reach the Region III-6A-D1 Final.

It doesn't come as a shock to see that Wake Forest-signee Bailey Warren (519 kills) continues to play at such a high degree for coach Sydney Zimmerman.

Of course, she's not alone in making a tremendous impact.

Howard-signee Alexys James (1,324 assists, 334 digs) and Colorado State-signee Sydney Black (655 digs, 110 assists) have been playing on a whole other level.

Don't sleep on DBU-signee Lauren Witte (357 kills) or sophomore Arayah Watson (235 kills) either.

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Both of these squads reached the State Tournament last year -- with Fulshear still being in Class 5A at that point -- which makes this match-up all the more enticing.

Stop by the Merrell Center at 5:30 pm on Friday to see who punches their ticket.

Stratford Spartans vs. Shadow Creek Sharks (6A-D2 Region III)

Easily the biggest surprise of the 2024 season, the Stratford Spartans have ascended into the upper echelon of Texas high school volleyball, currently touting an immaculate record of 40-2.

Coach Jenny Adcock's crew have had a somewhat favorable schedule throughout the postseason -- handily defeating Westside (3-0) and Tompkins (3-0), before claiming a five-set win over Manvel on Tuesday -- but that doesn't dismiss the threat the team poses.

Despite having a relatively younger set of play-makers, the Spartans just keep cooking.

Pun-intended for my previous statement, junior setter Audrey Cook (1,170 assists, 332 digs) has efficiently distributed the ball to Adcock's offensive weapons -- namely fellow juniors Gwen Koss (429 kills, 380 digs) and Sarah Hickman (339 kills).

Furthermore, seniors Rachel Ashby (479 digs, 121 assists) and Avery Kent (280 kills) provide the additional veteran leadership that has propelled Stratford this far.

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What a difference a year makes.

After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last Fall, Shadow Creek (35-11) rallied within a ruthless district and excelled to the tune of advancing four rounds deep into this postseason.

Regardless of that remarkable achievement, they won't be content with letting the buck stop here.

As expected, dual-sport super-star Mackenzie Collins (recent Texas-signee) is the puzzle piece that was missing for coach Whitney Daniel's to truly excel -- having registered 583 kills in 2024.

Juniors Bella Law (1,262 assists, 368 digs) and Lauryn Wiley (475 digs, 135 assists), combined with sophomores Aspen Brown (365 kills) and Tamarria Mitchell (304 kills), provide a healthy mix of upper and underclassmen on this squad.

Don't forget about senior Kelly Kelsick (305 digs, 433 receptions) either, as she has come in the clutch on more than one occasion.

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These two H-Town heavy-weights will battle it out at Delmar Fieldhouse this Friday at 5:00 pm, for the right to go to State.

College Park Cavaliers vs. Royse City Bulldogs (6A-D2 Region II)

College Park enters the 6A-D2 Region II Final on the heels of dominating Spring (3-0), Magnolia West (3-1), and Wylie East (3-0) over the past two weeks.

It hasn't always been easy sledding for the Cavaliers, given the fact that they compete with Grand Oaks and The Woodlands on an annual basis in District 13-6A. But, by all accounts and purposes, they get things done!

Coach Candice Collins-Gibson's squad is sitting pretty at 33-11 and have reached the Regional Finals for the first time since 2017.

Star libero Morgan Madison (Baylor-signee) locks down the defensive side of the net, evidenced by impressive stat-line (640 digs, 177 assists).

Meanwhile, juniors such as Baylor-commit Lacy Tinnell (328 kills) and Reese Ellen (208 kills) -- in addition to sophomore Sadie Kendrick (205 kills) -- keep lighting up the scoreboard, with junior setter Caroline Prihoda (585 assists, 283 digs) also playing a pivotal role.

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Royse City (40-8), on the other hand, recently took down DeSoto (3-0) and Oak Ridge (3-1) to advance to this point, and is no stranger to this stage.

Head Coach Amanda Gonzales has a bona fide super-star within her ranks, as Tulsa-commit Kylee McCoy (812 kills, 408 digs) has elevated the entire team on an astronomical level.

Abigail Maldonado (258 kills) and Patience Gibson (204 kills, 376 digs) chip in on the offensive side, while senior setter Alayna Howard (1,373 assists, 345 digs) shores up the back-end.

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This should be showdown when the Cavs face the Bulldogs this Friday (6:00 pm) at Fairfield High School.

Friendswood Mustangs vs. Georgetown Eagles (5A-D2 Region III)

It wasn't a huge secret that Friendswood was going to be Class 5A title-contender come playoff-time.

With coach Sarah Paulk at the helm, the Mustangs -- who are now 38-8 on the year -- went undefeated (12-0) in District 20-5A, prior to outlasting PNG (3-0), Montgomery (3-2), and Wiess (3-0) through three rounds of the postseason.

Their bread and butter has been their attacking game, led by Florida-commit Nadi'ya Shelby, who has tallied 531 kills in 2024. She's complemented by the likes of seniors Jordyn Sims (The Citadel-signee//321 kills) and Preslee Alaniz (Southwestern Oklahoma-signee//195 kills).

Shelby and her offensive counterparts have had plenty of help, though.

Juniors Caroline Adams (979 assists, 237 digs) and Haley Patton (524 digs, 87 assists) have been the architects when it comes to the team's production.

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Out of the Austin-area, Georgetown (41-8) has enjoyed its best run in years, and look to keep their Cinderella-story alive when facing Houston power-house Friendswood.

Under the direction of coach Jenny Richardson-- who surpassed the 500-win career mark in September -- the Eagles have been propelled by the efforts of Texas-commit Addison Gaido, indicated by the stats she procured (580 kills, 353 digs) thus far.

Additionally, seniors Raegan Ramirez (798 digs), Allison O'Shaughnessy (781 assists, 336 digs), Molly O'Shaughnessy (274 kills), and McKenzie Bernard (233 kills) have provided significant contributions to Georgetown's exemplary performance this Fall.

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This is one fans won't want to miss, as the Mustangs and Eagles face off at Rudder High School, this Friday at 6:30 pm.

Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles vs. Legacy Prep Christian Academy Lions (TAPPS-5A)

Despite going through a rough patch throughout this Fall, due to nagging injuries and other factors taking place behind the scenes, FBCA (30-12) now has the opportunity to return to the TAPPS-5A State Championship, with hopes of taking back their 2022 crown.

Ascended head coach David Reeves has seemingly breathed new life and morale into a program that has dealt with its fair share of hardships throughout the season, giving the team the boost it needed to produce this kind of run.

After defeating St. Joseph (3-2), all eyes will be on the Eagles' most proficient leaders to bring them to the promised land.

Super-stars Bayleigh Minor (a highly sought-after track star if you didn't know) and Bryant-signee Ruth Ochelli are the hammers of the group, combining for well over 500 kills on the year.

Setters Lauren Leroux (695 assists) and Channing Low (386 assists) spread the wealth, while Daniela Ramirez (302 digs), Laycee McGrady (224 digs), and senior Layne Bulow (212 digs) clean up on the defensive side.

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Meanwhile, LPCA is coming off, perhaps, the biggest upset of the season -- defeating perennial contender Lutheran South Academy in four sets.

Granted, Texas A&M-signee Kirra Musgrove was dealing with an illness at the time, but that shouldn't dismiss all that this team has accomplished this year.

The Lions are legit, evidenced by their 26-8-1 record.

Coach Dustin Dunlavy's roster is elevated by the talents of seniors Ashlynn Hollis (271 kills), Emerson Lilja (267 kills, 288 digs), and Taylor Alarid (216 kills).

Furthermore, fellow senior Sydney McNeil (625 assists, 195 digs) and junior Keira Schroeder (326 digs) prove just how Legacy Prep has reached this point.

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The right to compete for TAPPS glory is on the line. These two programs will compete at Robinson High School at 7:00 pm on Thursday to determine who advances.

Concordia Lutheran Crusaders vs. Antonian College Prep Apaches

The Crusaders (32-14) went on a tear throughout the vast majority of the regular season, which naturally carried over into the TAPPS-6A playoffs -- breezing past TMI Episcopal (3-0) and SA Incarnate Word (3-1) to reach this point.

What makes this group so special relates to the considerable depth they possess across the board.

From Florida Internationl-signee Haley Herndon (Sr. OH), McKinzie Riley (Sr. OH), and Imerie Jones (Sr. MB), to Sam Houston State-signee Carleigh Schluter (Sr. S), Sara Sellers (Sr. L), and Rivers Lee (Sr. DS), coach Kim Odinga's senior-laden squad has been sharpened to an even finer point in the back half of the year.

Concordia Lutheran now has the opportunity to reach the State Final for the first time since 2018, when facing familiar opponent Antonian College Prep.

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The Apaches (34-15) recently swept both St. Pius X and St. Agnes to enter the final-four, and have plenty of talent to propel them even further.

Led by coach Samantha McLure, Antonian is headlined by individuals such as Olivia Hernandez (340 kills), Faith Overby (331 kills), Danielle Seabern (1,258 assists, 345 digs), and 2023 second-team, all-state selection Anna Arceneaux (740 digs).

They reached this same round a year ago, so there's no shortage of experience when it comes to its critical stages.

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Both of these private school power-houses will be going head-to-head today Thursday night (7:00 pm) at University High School in Waco.