San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
3 burning questions
The UIL volleyball season gets underway Tuesday, beginning a journey that will end in late November with the state tournament in Garland.
Here are some key area story lines this season to follow:
What impact will the short timeline between tryouts and the start of the season have? The UIL’s calendar stipulates that Aug. 1 is the first day schools can begin preparation for the upcoming season. This year, the date fell on a Thursday, which meant coaches had two days to conduct tryouts and select teams, and one or two days to participate in scrimmages.
The short window between tryouts and season openers likely will affect early-season performance.
Coaches, though, have found ways to compensate, using team camps in the days leading up to preseason workouts as a springboard.
“It’s huge, I think, this year since we’re starting Thursday, and we’re scrimmaging Saturday, and we play on Tuesday,” Churchill coach Jo Anne Hultgren said.
Can O’Connor make a third straight trip to UIL Class 6A state tournament? It’s kind of amazing how the narrative around the Panthers has changed over the past two seasons. For most of its existence, O’Connor annually had been a serious contender but simply hadn’t gotten over the hump.
Things changed in 2017 when the Panthers stunned Reagan — ranked No. 1 in the nation — to win their first Region IV-6A crown and earn their first trip to state. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, O’Connor defeated a who’s who of area powers — Reagan, Clemens, Brandeis and Clark — for a return trip to the state tournament.
O’Connor lost to graduation setter Marina De La Rosa and libero Peyton Hummel, both All-Area Super Team selections, but with five players with starting experience returning — setter Terez Chavez, middle blocker Lexi Davila and outside hitters Kali Nelson, Bryshanna Brown and Sunnie Ozment — it wouldn’t be wise to bet against the Panthers.
In 2009, the area enjoyed one of its overall best seasons. Can it repeat the performance? A decade ago, Seguin advanced to the UIL Class 5A state tournament, stunning a loaded Austin Lake Travis in the regional final; O’Connor made it to the Region IV-6A final, knocking off nationally ranked Reagan before a packed crowd at UTSA along the way; Poth won the 3A state title; Fredericksburg advanced to the 4A regional final; Antonian won a TAPPS state crown; and Boerne Geneva and Bracken Christian each made it to the state tournament.
It’s hard to predict such things. On paper, though, another banner season could be in store.
A handful of areas Class 6A teams are capable of making it to the state tournament. Harlan in 5A, a few teams in 4A, Poth in 3A and Antonian and New Braunfels Christian in TAPPS should be in the title conversation.