The Hillcrest volleyball season ended on Friday, but not before the Panthers made some history during their brief playoff run.
Frisco Liberty overwhelmed Hillcrest in a Class 5A Region II area round match in Carrollton, 25-12, 25-14, 25-5, giving an abrupt finish to an otherwise stellar season.
The Panthers (16-12) have qualified for postseason play in almost every season during the past two decades. They’ve advanced to the second and third round on multiple occasions.
However, a five-set triumph over West Mesquite in the bi-district round marked the first playoff victory for Hillcrest over an opponent from outside Dallas ISD. The Panthers had to rally from a set down on Nov. 1 in the seesaw thriller, 22-25, 25-13, 29-27, 17-25, 15-10.
During the regular season, Hillcrest finished as the runner-up behind Woodrow Wilson in District 11-5A and during one stretch won 13 of 14 matches.
