The volleyball team will play its final district game at Flower Mound on Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The team has a record of 13-0 and is ranked first in the district; Flower Mound has a record of 12-1 and is ranked second in the district.
“[This game] is going to be the best and biggest prep that we have for the postseason,” head coach Rachel Buckley said. “I want the team to end [district play] and start the ball rolling on the highest possible note for [playoffs].”
The Lady Hawks have won 42 consecutive sets, and have yet to concede a set in district play. They swept Flower Mound at their previous match, and still remain the only team to have won a set against them.
“Even if we take one set off of them, we would be district champs,” outside hitter Addison Vary said. “We’re going to do this, and we’re going to sweep them.”
This year, there are two captains, outside hitter Cadence McDonald and libero Carola Moreno. McDonald currently has 317 kills this season, 218 more than Flower Mound’s highest of 99. During the team’s most recent match against Braswell on Oct. 25, Moreno surpassed 500 digs for the season, while Flower Mound’s highest is 116. Buckley said the captains have been unstoppable on the court and are leading by example.
“The captains have done exactly what I’ve asked them to do all season, which is step up,” Buckley said. “They’ve taken on different roles; they’ve stepped into those roles and they’ve owned those roles.”
McDonald has been on the varsity team throughout all of high school. This would be her third year advancing to playoffs after losing in the fourth round during the 2021-22 season and losing in the first round during the 2023-24 season. She said the connection between the girls has been different this year.
“We just clicked,” McDonald said. “We share a special bond, and we’re willing to work hard for each other. I try to encourage [the underclassmen] and remind them that we’re doing this for each other.”
The team has endured injuries and sickness all throughout the season. They have yet to play with all the players fully healthy. Buckley said the greatest growth she’s seen from the team has been their spark coming back and not letting the struggles get to them.
“This team has taken ownership of their season,” Buckley said. “At the start of the preseason, I felt like I was the one who had the dream for them. I was their energy, spark and leadership piece on the court, [but now] they’ve bought into this [dream.] They want something special for their season more than I do.”
