With talent returning and foundation in place, could this be start of a dynasty?
Highland Park has come close before. But making history takes a special combination of talent, strategy, resilience, and performance.
The Lady Scots demonstrated all of those qualities during an unblemished postseason run that culminated with a sweep of A&M Consolidated (25-18, 25-22, 25-17) in the Class 5A Division I championship match on Nov. 22 in Garland.
HP’s first state title in program history capped a remarkable season, ending with the Lady Scots (43-8) not dropping a set through the entire playoffs.
The Lady Scots finished the season with 21 consecutive victories, including a perfect mark in District 12-5A Div. I play, and they seemed to strengthen their resolve every week.
HP controlled every facet of the match against the undersized Tigers, showcasing depth, power, and precision in attacks at the net.
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Sophomore hitter Sarah Floyd, a left-hander, finished with a match-high 14 kills to earn MVP honors. Allie Hudgins had 11 kills and nine digs. Taylor Toomay and Brooklyn Bailey added nine kills apiece. Gigi Whann accumulated 18 digs and three aces, while setter Anna Lee contributed 38 assists.
The Lady Scots previously reached the Class 4A title match in both 2003 (a three-set loss to Stephenville) and in 2008 (a four-set loss to Hereford). Three years ago, they were 42-3. But this team reached the elusive peak of a mountain HP has been climbing for decades.
“This is the most selfless team we’ve had. No one is playing for themselves,” Bailey said. “We’ve all bought into the program and our core values. We all trust each other.”
Floyd and Hudgins each missed significant portions of the season while recovering from injuries. HP did not have its complete lineup on the floor until early October.
“They came in toward the end of district, and we got going and started hitting our stride,” said HP head coach Michael Dearman, who earned a national coach of the year honor from MaxPreps. “The depth of our team has made a huge difference, and that includes in practice. I want to commend those girls who played a huge role for us during the season.”
Considering the stakes, and the accompanying expectations, Hudgins said the Lady Scots were able to remain focused and didn’t become rattled by the spotlight.
“All season, we’ve done a really great job of taking every game as the most important game, so I feel like there was no added pressure,” she said. “Obviously, it was for the state championship, but we really had each other’s backs. We didn’t get caught up in the external things before the game. We were really calm the whole time.”
HP will return much of its lineup next season from a roster with just five seniors — including key contributors Bailey, Whann, and Lydia Fisher, a 6-foot-5 hitter from Atlanta.
