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Varsity Volleyball started the week with a record of 16-1, ranked 3rd among state 6A teams by Texas Volleyball Insiders (TVI), 5th in the state among 6A teams by MaxPreps, and 3rd in the Houston area by VYPE. Another wild round of games awaited with the Clear Creek ISD Tournament Thursday and Saturday. But first up was a home matchup against Kingwood on Tuesday.
vs. Kingwood
After a sloppy start, Stratford inched out to a 11-9 lead on the strength of scores by Sarah Hickman, Avery Kent, Jenna Rae James, and Gwen Koss. Then came what can only be described as the "Koss Barrage." A series of eight straight points by Koss (six of them aces), interrupted only by a Rachel Ashby score, opened up a 21-9 advantage. A pair of Hickman kills and a Kent score set up by a great save by James closed out the first set at 25-11.
A pair of Logan Sykes aces helped Varsity to a 10-4 lead in the second. A booming Milena Miladinovic kill and a Lauren Dunwoody roll shot forced a timeout at 13-5. A pair of strong Kent kills, the second of which was set up by Caroline White’s smooth set, extended the lead. A Dunwoody save leading to a Dunwoody block made it 19-10, and scores by Koss, Audrey Cook, and Hickman closed out the set 25-19.
The third set brought more winning ways for the Spartans, starting with a statement by Miladinovic on the block. Several scores by Hickman and Tess Stephenson made it 10-5. Six consecutive Hickman scores, broken only by a Stephenson tip kill, broke it open at 16-6. A pair of aces by White and a hammer shot kill by Cook made it 21-8. Scores by Hickman and Koss mercifully brought the final set to a close at 25-9.
CLEAR CREEK ISD TOURNAMENT
vs. Kingwood
Starting Thursday, Varsity traveled to League City for the Clear Creek ISD Tournament. The first opponent was a familiar one: Kingwood. Having just defeated Kingwood on Tuesday, Stratford did so again, clawing out a 25-18, 25-17 win. Next up was A&M Consolidated.
vs. A&M Consolidated
The Spartans jumped out early and won 25-15, 25-17 in a match that was never really in doubt.
vs. Langham Creek
Finally on Thursday, Varsity cruised to a 25-11, 25-17 victory over Langham Creek. The sweep on Thursday placed Stratford in the Gold bracket for Saturday, where some of the city’s top programs would await.
vs. Katy Taylor
First up in the Gold bracket on Saturday was a rematch with Katy Taylor. Varsity prevailed again against Taylor in straight sets (25-21, 25-19) to set up a matchup against The Woodlands - ranked 16th among Texas 6A teams by TVI.
vs. The Woodlands
A win against the Highlanders would give Stratford its first trip to the championship in the history of this tournament. In a matchup where the Spartans were never quite able to get in a rhythm, The Woodlands prevailed going away 21-25, 13-25. The loss put Stratford in the third-place game to face Cy Ranch, ranked 5th among 6A programs by TVI.
vs. Cy Ranch
Varsity won the first set in strong fashion: 25-18. Stratford lost a hard-fought second set 23-25, then jumped out in the third and kept the pressure up to seal the win 25-19.
AWARDS
After the match, juniors Sarah Hickman (opposite) and Audrey Cook (setter) were awarded well-deserved All-Tournament Team honors recognizing their stellar play over the weekend!
In other award recognitions, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) handed out designations to several Stratford players this past week as a part of its pre-season awards. Earning selection to the AVCA Phenom Team were juniors Audrey Cook, Sarah Hickman, and Gwen Koss, and earning selection to the AVCA All-American Watch List was senior Avery Kent.
Finally, we would also like to give a special shout out to the 2023 Stratford Volleyball Team. For the 6th year in a row, Stratford as a program was awarded the USMC-AVCA Team Academic Award and for the 5th year in a row, Varsity merited the Honor Roll Distinction. Stratford was in the top 20 percent of teams in the country in terms of collective GPA.
Next week Varsity (22-2) has a HUGE rematch on Tuesday at 5:30 pm at Fulshear (22-4) - ranked 4th among Texas 6A teams by TVI. Fulshear will be seeking revenge for Stratford’s 4-set victory over the Chargers earlier this year. Then Friday, Varsity begins District play traveling to Cy Creek for a 5:30 pm start.
This week’s stats include: