By Sam Weiger / Contributor
CLEBURNE — Highland Park remained perfect in postseason play, advancing with a sweep for the third consecutive round on Thursday against Lake Belton.
The Lady Scots extended their overall winning streak to 18 matches and reached the regional finals for the first time since 2022 with the win, 25-12, 25-16, 25-23.
HP will next face McKinney North, the team that knocked it out of the playoffs a year ago, on Tuesday in the Region II final of the Class 5A Division I bracket.
The Lady Scots (40-8) set the tone right out of the gate, racing to a 17-5 lead in the first set. Allie Hudgins and Sarah Floyd overwhelmed the Lady Broncos with powerful serves and spikes, which continued throughout the match.
“We served really hard, really tough,” HP head coach Michael Dearman said. “The opponent had a really tough time passing, it really took them out of system and we just kind of rolled from there.”
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The second set was much closer at the start, as the Lady Broncos (31-13) played with a heightened sense of urgency. HP adjusted by changing the pace. Anna Lee led the way with some perfectly placed tips in big moments in the second and third sets.
The final set was a thriller from start to finish. HP raced ahead to a 5-1 lead, and it was beginning to look like the outcome was clear. Lake Belton, led by Madi Bingham and Kaitlyn Hutchins, clawed its way back into the set with some big swings.
“Bingham is a talented player,” Dearman said. “She was able to get around our block and find her shots. She was the biggest challenge that we faced.”
The final set remained close, with the Lady Broncos using big plays up front to take a 23-20 advantage. However, the Lady Scots won five points in a row to complete an outstanding comeback. It was during this stretch that Highland Park’s size and mental toughness made the biggest difference.
“This team is used to being under pressure. We’ve been in that situation many times this year,” Dearman said. “We were actually in this position in the last match. We just continue to stay calm and come back. This team feels different. It’s a very mentally tough group, and getting back to regional finals means a lot to us.”
