That foresight is why Zimmerman, in August, well before even the start of district play, advised parents to book a hotel room in Garland for Nov. 18. The day of the Class 5A state championship match.
On Saturday afternoon, that special team went out and proved Zimmerman clairvoyant.
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Fulshear is headed to the state tournament for the third time in five years after sweeping Barbers Hill 25-14, 27-25, 25-22 in the Region III-5A final at the Merrell Center in Katy.
“Coming in the first practice in August, I knew they were special,” Zimmerman said. “There was a different type of energy in the gym than we had the last couple of years. Obviously, we had the skill. A lot of teams have skill; Barbers Hill has a ton of skill. But I think emotionally we were able to come together.”
Fulshear is 40-4. The Chargers enter next week’s state tournament on a 21-game win streak and have dropped only four sets since Aug. 29.
“We all knew,” junior libero Sydney Black said. “We just knew. Most of us are juniors. We’ve all put in the work—in practice, outside of practice, outside of school. Since the beginning of the season, I’ve had faith, but this playoff run we’ve become so mentally tough.”
Barbers Hill (42-8), making its first regional final appearance since 2015, got up 4-2 in the first set. And then everything went Fulshear’s way.
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The Chargers went on a 16-1 spree to author an opening rout, taking as much as a 13-point lead. Junior outside hitter and Wake Forest commit Bailey Warren had nine kills. Junior outside hitter Lauren Witte had four.
Fulshear hardly was ever out of system in taking the early advantage.
“We talked about not getting back on our heels and playing on our toes,” Warren said. “We came out physical and loud and had a really strong mental game.”
Warren was phenomenal throughout the entire match. Barbers Hill had no counter for her accuracy, versatility and power.
Warren drilled shots to the middle, toward the line and everywhere else. She attacked from the middle, the outside and the back row.
“When I’m up in the air, I look at the block,” said Warren, who had a match-best 22 kills. “I don’t swing just to swing. There’s intent behind it and placing the ball smartly at certain paces.”
Zimmerman said her star hitter is “amazing.”
“Obviously, physically, she’s very talented, but the best thing about her this year is her stepping into a leadership role,” Zimmerman said. “She was voted captain by her teammates at the beginning of the year and has really stepped into that. She just never lets up, never stops talking and holds her teammates accountable.”
Fulshear junior Bailey Warren celebrates with junior libero Sydney Black (left) after receiving their regional championship medals following the Chargers’ sweep of Barbers Hill in the Region III-5A final at the Merrell Center in Katy.
Fulshear junior Bailey Warren celebrates with junior libero Sydney Black (left) after receiving their regional championship medals following the Chargers’ sweep of Barbers Hill in the Region III-5A final at the Merrell Center in Katy.
Dennis Silva II / staff
Barbers Hill led 18-14 in the second set before Fulshear stormed back to tie things at 19.
From there, there were five ties. The Chargers ultimately prevailed, snapping a 25-25 knot with two consecutive Warren kills.
“We played together,” said Black, who was terrific defensively getting to almost any and every ball hit her way. “I don’t feel like there was a moment that we got down. Their energy was on and off, but we did a really good job keeping our heads in it and playing very well.”
Barbers Hill again took a considerable lead in the third set at 17-12. But Fulshear, again, rallied dramatically to tie it at 19.
The Chargers scored six of the set’s final nine points, with freshman middle Arayah Watson and junior right side Avery Pruitt contributing clutch shots.
“We knew we wanted it to be a quick three (sets),” Warren said. “We didn’t want four sets. I think we recognize when we can play better than what we are, and we do something about it. We play together and we push back.”
Witte added 12 kills for Fulshear. Junior middle Yosola Adeleke had eight kills and was dominant at the net.
Barbers Hill’s 6-foot star senior middle blocker Chloe Morgan, a Loyola University Chicago commit, had just six kills. She averaged 3.4 kills per set entering the match.
“We watched her the most on film, recognized what she could do,” Warren said. “We trapped her. We switched me and Lauren on her; we were running a whole different rotation. It worked out how we wanted it to.”
In its seventh year of varsity play, Fulshear is seeking a second state title. It won the Class 4A state championship in 2019. The Chargers fell in the 5A state final the following year.
The Chargers have five district championships and now their second 40-win season. The only time Fulshear has not made the regional tournament was in 2017, its inaugural varsity season.
“The last couple of years, it felt like we were a little bit in limbo,” Zimmerman said. “We were very successful, but I think we set the standard so early on that state was the goal every year. This year just feels different. They don’t seem like they’ve been practi... Click here to read full article
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