TEXAS CITY’S DREAM SEASON collided with destiny when the Stinagrees’ volleyball team clashed with defending Region III and state-ranked Friendswood in a regional quarterfinal matchup that was played on Saturday afternoon at La Porte High School. The winner of that match will advance one step closer to next month’s state finals, but regardless to how it goes for Texas City, coach Glenn Kennedy’s squad has already made history.
Tuesday night’s victory over Richmond Foster marked the first time the Stings have advanced to the third round of the state volleyball tournament. The victory was a defining moment for a program that had been unable to maximize its talent until the arrival of Kennedy, who took Texas City to the postseason last year and guided the Stingarees to the program’s first victory in a playoff match.
Extending history means stopping a Friendswood squad that came into Saturday’s match having won 17 of its last 18 contests, including a pair of wins over Texas City in District 22-5A play. The Mustangs swept the Stings on September 24 but had their hands full against Texas City in an October 17 match that saw Friendswood gain a hard-earned five-set victory.
Saturday’s victors will advance to the regional semifinals, where they will face the winner of the match between College Station and Magnolia West. The match will be played either Tuesday or Wednesday at a time and place to be determined.
Meanwhile, District 24-6A champion Clear Falls also advanced to the regional quarterfinals after topping Summer Creek in a three-set sweep on Tuesday. The Knights faced the challenge of state-ranked Pearland, whom they faced on Friday evening at Clear Lake High School.
Clear Creek’s postseason run came to an end when the Wildcats were eliminated by Deer Park in a spirited four-set match on Tuesday. Although the season ended sooner than expected, the Wildcats lose just one player, putting them in position for even bigger things in 2021.
