Setting the Stage

How could she have known she was being too modest? Heading into last season, Kelly McCarter would've considered a .500 record something of an accomplishment. However, the coach's expectations and those of her Weatherford players changed after the team won the consolation bracket at an August tournament in Abilene. "To come home with a trophy was really big for them," she said. The early-season success was a harbinger of Weatherford's surprising run to the 2007 playoffs. In exceeding expectations, the Kangaroos proved just how difficult it can be to predict who will succeed or struggle in high school volleyball. But it doesn't take a crystal ball to see that the Fort Worth-Denton area will provide no shortage of exciting moments in 2008. 5A DISTRICT 3-5A A lot has changed for Weatherford in a year. Last season, Weatherford defied the odds. A year later, the odds are in the Roos' favor. McCarter, the Roos' second-year coach, last season inherited a team that won just seven games in 2006 and finished at the bottom of the District 4-5A standings. Competing in a nine-team district featuring the ultra-competitive Mansfield schools, the 2007 Weatherford squad managed a surprising second-place finish to earn the program's first postseason berth in six years. "They had to believe in themselves that they could compete with those teams," McCarter said. The Roos enter '08 with more experience and confidence - and heightened expectations. Now a member of the revamped seven-team District 3-5A, Weatherford simply has to finish higher than the bottom three to achieve a second straight playoff appearance. And Mansfield High doesn't stand in the team's way this time around. All those factors have McCarter and her players thinking district championship. "Nobody was really gunning for us last season," said McCarter, who was named the 4-5A coach of the year by her peers. "It'll be a little different for us this year." One thing that will be different from last year is that Weatherford should be more prepared for the start of district play. Playing in a smaller district will allow the team to play more non-district games, meaning the start of district will come in September instead of the middle of August. The Roos return eight players, including the talented middle blocker tandem of Mackenzie Lankford and Megan Askew. Askew, a 5-10 senior who was first team all-district a year ago, is a physical presence around the net. Lankford, a 5-9 junior who was district newcomer of the year as a sophomore, uses her high-octane jumping ability and quick striking speed to make kills. McCarter also expects improved play from junior outside hitter/right-side hitter Shelby Newberry. Standing in Weatherford's way is new district foe Abilene, which defeated the Roos in the bi-district round of the playoffs a year ago. McCarter said she considers the Eagles the team to beat in 3-5A. "They just looked more comfortable, more at ease than us," McCarter said of the playoff matchup with Abilene. Rounding out a solid district are Burleson, Fort Worth Paschal, Haltom, Richland and North Crowley. Even though those teams missed the playoffs last season, they are not lacking in talent. Haltom, for instance, features senior Leah Havili, District 5-5A setter of the year a season ago, and North Crowley had two all-district performers in '07. McCarter said she's confident about her team's chances in 3-5A, but she isn't peering into a crystal ball. "You never know," she said. "Teams change from year to year." DISTRICT 4-5A Arlington High coach Sue Cauley's standards are understandably high. The Colts are not just a perennial playoff team; you can almost always count on them to make a deep run in the postseason. But even by the program's lofty standards, last year's squad was special. The Colts in 2007 won their second consecutive district title, topping talented rivals Duncanville and Arlington Martin. More importantly, Arlington made a furious run at the state tournament before falling short against eventual state champion Amarillo in the regional finals. "They were just so close-knit. They were one of those teams that had great chemistry," Cauley said. "It all has to do with chemistry." The Colts will have to try to reformulate last season's success without stars Sarah Joeckel, District 8-5A co-MVP, and Alex Nunn, the district's outstanding setter, whom they lost to graduation. But with nine returning players led by all-district performers Mackenzie Nunn, Kendall Whitson, Tobi Farrar and Ashleigh Barnett, Cauley isn't lacking in key ingredients for another run at district and state. "I'm very confident with this team," she said. "We're very focused on what we need to do." Despite her confidence, Cauley knows playing in District 4-5A will present an unenviable challenge. In addition to talented cross-town rivals Martin and Arlington Lamar, the Colts will have to contend with a pair of formidable opponents a few miles to the south, Mansfield and Mansfield Summit. In all, five of the seven teams in the new district made the playoffs last season. "It should be fun," Cauley said. Martin coach Tracy Perez-Petersen, who led the Warriors to a state title in 2005, has a similar take on the stacked district: "This will be good for our kids to keep them sharp every game." And like Cauley, Perez-Petersen, whose players call her Coach P for short, has lost two of her best players to graduation: Chelsea Ringel, District 8-5A co-MVP, and Stephanie Minnerly, the district's co-outstanding attacker. The Warriors, who lost to Amarillo last season in the regional semifinals, will be led by seven seniors. At the head of the class are libero Maddie Hanlan, right-side hitter Whitney Walls and setters Bella Romero and Kristen Cowling - all of whom are three-year starters. Fellow seniors Kelsey English and Rachel Keiser, role players a year ago, are being asked to hold down the middle. "These kids that are seniors were my first freshman group, so they're really special," said Perez-Petersen, who succeeded longtime coach Joni McCoy in 2005. Outside the experienced core, Perez-Petersen will look for contributions from young players such as junior middle blocker Noelle Cope, who played on the junior varsity last season. "I think it might be a slow start, but as the kids get a little confidence they're going to be good," Perez-Petersen said. "They're going to get better and better each time out." Mansfield, another likely district title contender, won the old District 4-5A in 2007. The Tigers lost three all-district performers to graduation, including district MVP Savannah Smith. Summit is led by returning starters Amy Moody, junior outside hitter, and Breonna Loud, senior setter. Lamar will look to return to the playoffs on the strength of junior trio Alexis Sackett, Maggie Connally and Anna Berry. DISTRICT 5-5A Northwest coach Dayna Horak describes her seniors as a goal-oriented bunch. How ambitious are they? "They want to do better than what we did [last] year," the Texans' fourth-year coach said. "They want to graduate Northwest with a district championship. They want to leave a legacy." Their goals won't be easy to achieve. Northwest finished in fourth place in District 5-5A in 2007, falling to Flower Mound Marcus in a bi-district playoff match. But in 2008 the Texans find themselves in a revamped eight-team district that might comprise a tougher collection of teams than the Texans faced a year ago. Despite no longer having to contend against the likes of perennial sports bully Southlake Carroll, Northwest must deal with 5-5A newcomers Trinity and L.D. Bell. Trinity went undefeated in 7-5A last season, and the Blue Raiders are annual playoff qualifiers. Trinity returns 7-5A MVP Lauren Martin. Bell's attack, meanwhile, will be led by all-district middle blocker Chante Thompson. The district's quality doesn't end there. In all, five current 5-5A teams made the playoffs last year, including Keller and Keller Central. The Chargers are led by sophomore middle blocker Whitney Little, an all-district selection a year ago, and sophomore Jayma Mickler returns after playing extensively as a freshman. The Indians feature senior middle blocker Ashley Anderson. "I feel we can compete and are one of the top-tier teams in our district," Horak said. If Horak sounds confident, it's because her squad boasts an experienced core. Among the team's eight returning players are senior standouts Marisa Morton and Wichita State-signee Sam Sanders. Sanders, a middle blocker/outside hitter, was the district's hitter of the year as a junior. Morton, a libero, is being recruited by several colleges. "Our offense has been our strong suit, but this year we're going to have a balance," Horak said. "I think it's going to be a well-rounded group." The coach hopes that a tough non-district schedule that includes playing in the Duncanville and Arlington tournaments and hosting their own 24-team tourney will prepare the Texans for district. "It gives you a gauge of where you are right now and where you need to be," Horak said of tournament play. Horak, though, said she fully expects the rest of 5-5A to also enter district play ready for a tussle. "The district if anything has only gotten tougher," she said. DISTRICT 6-5A Cristie Liles admits her team isn't the type to intimidate opponents during warm-ups. Once the first ball is served, though, Flower Mound Marcus means business. "We come across as if we're not going to bring a whole lot," the coach said. "But when the match starts, it's a whole different ballgame." The workmanlike Marauders proved their might in the postseason, taking Arlington High to a fifth and deciding game before falling in the regional quarterfinals. This season, Marcus, which finished second in District 6-5A a season ago, is taking aim at continued postseason success. And along the way, Liles said, the team would like to win a district championship. To do that, the Marauders will have to finish ahead of four other 6-5A foes that made the playoffs in 2007: Hebron, Coppell, cross-town rival Flower Mound and district newcomer Southlake Carroll. "This district to me is already like being in the playoffs," Liles said. "What you have to do is give it your all every night. ... I've always said that to be the best, you definitely have to play the best. I would rather have this type of district rather than one with some games that do not test you at all." Luckily for Liles, her roster is decked out with seniors - nine of them in all. That group includes a pair of all-district outside hitters, Michelle Hundt and Lyndi Johnson. Marcus is also counting on the experience of standout libero Kaleigh Wright and setter Lauren Cooke. To have the kind of season they expect, the Marauders will need to find replacements for last year's senior middle blockers Brittany DeWeese and Emily Maher. "Everyone has good outside hitters," Liles said. "But we had two solid middles for two years. That's one of the areas we separated from the rest." Several sophomores and juniors are vying to man the middle. Liles said she expects some ups and downs due to inexperience: "They may be a little deer-in-the-headlights looking going into it, but we have some time." Marcus isn't the only team with district title aspirations. Carroll returns junior libero Jamie Harris, the 5-5A newcomer of the year in 2007, and senior outside hitter Sloane Sunstrum, an all-district selection. Flower Mound is led by all-district middle blocker Kristen Rice. Coppell coach Sherri Hankins, meanwhile, must find a way to replace four all-district players from '07 whom she lost to graduation. "You cannot take a break in this district," Liles said. "Every night is going to be all you want." 4A DISTRICT 5-4A Denton Guyer is still a very young school, and as such, has had to endure some growing pains in UIL competition. But in 2007, the Lady Wildcats volleyball team emerged as a force in the North Texas area and could very likely establish themselves as a powerhouse for years to come, with several returning players and a strong corps from last year's playoff team. Guyer took the district 5-4A title last season and advanced to the regional semifinals, where it lost to Dumas High School. The duo of outside hitter Alyssa Hanley and setter Kaylee Fifer should lead the Lady Wildcats this season, as Hanley was among the area leaders in aces in 2007 and Fifer averaged over seven assists per game. As of the final TGCA volleyball standings in November 2007, Guyer was the No. 13 team in the state in division 4A, and the Lady Wildcats could very well repeat as district champions in 2008. A team that could throw a monkey wrench into Guyer's quest for a repeat is Denton Ryan, who will return most of their starters from last year's regional quarterfinal team. In spite of finishing third last season in district 5-4A competition, the Lady Raiders advanced three rounds in the playoffs, eventually losing to Guyer in the regional quarterfinals. Ryan coach Cindy Williams expects a big season from 6'1" middle back Kayla Bond, who missed half of the district games with an injury in 2007, but still finished the season with 86 kills, 11 aces, 98 solo blocks, and 21 digs. Ryan will return five starters and nine players total. "My thoughts on the district are very positive," Williams said. "I believe all three Denton Schools will make a great showing with playoff experience from last year and successful off-season programs." Williams said she also expects big seasons from senior outside hitters Sarah Proctor, and Katie Jones, senior defensive specialist Jenna Brown and Celebrete' Johnson. The Denton Lady Broncos wrapped up the 2007 season as district 5-4A runners-up with a 26-13 record and went 9-3 in district play. The loss of last season's 5-4A Setter of the Year Paige Flowers as well as all-district players Maria Melendres and Jaime Riser will be hard on Denton, so look for hitter Amanda Hall and middle back Kelsey Cheatham to lead the way for the Lady Broncos in 2008. Denton returns five starters from last year's area finalist team and will likely contend for a playoff spot. "For us, this is the year of possibilities," coach Heather Stewart said. "We have a new team that is eager to continue the success that we have had for the past two years." With blocking standout Madison Huth leading the way, The Colony could contend for the fourth and final spot in district 5-4A, as they advanced to the post-season in 2007, but Wichita Falls and Rider High School are unknown quantities and could be in there at the end as well. Lake Dallas and Little Elm round out the 5-4A district, and while Little Elm finished last in district 9-4A in 2007, coach Becky Phillips said her team should be more competitive than people may think. Phillips said sophomore setter Kaylee Edgcombe, senior outside hitter Christina Short, and senior libero Jordan Hurley should have good seasons. DISTRICT 6-4A With two district champions for the 2007 season in the same district, 6-4A could actually turn out to be a four-horse race before all is said and done. Aledo, which advanced the farthest in the postseason last year, doesn't appear to have dropped off that much and should vie for the 6-4A title. The Lady Bearcats lost in the regional semi-finals to Canyon Randall last season and finished undefeated in district 8-4A competition, with a season record of 35-7. What's tough for Aledo's opponents is that the orange and black have eight returning players from last year's squad, and coach Kathy Goings said spirits are high. "We are excited about the 2008 season," Goings said. "We have several returning players and lots of seniors." Goings is expecting big seasons from three players, including outside hitter Allie Bettinger, who led Aledo in kills last year, Abby Tomas, who "will be a big block and powerful hitter," and Caitlyn Cole, who led the Lady Bearcats in digs last season. One of the teams that Goings said could put a damper on Aledo's aspirations of claiming the district crown in 2008 is Azle, and with good reason. The Lady Hornets finished second in their district last season with a record of 14-2 and 25-10 on the season, and have five of their starting six returning. Azle head coach Melissa Scogin said she is excited about the upcoming season, but added that it will be more difficult for her team this season than last. "With the realignment, our district has become much more competitive," Scogin said. "We already were facing teams like Birdville, Boswell, and Springtown but now we add Aledo and Mineral Wells to the mix and things just get a lot more difficult, which is good." Scogin is expecting libero Sarah Mendez (464 digs, 83 aces), setter Ashley Goforth (105 digs), middle back Sara Waresback (96 blocks, 105 kills) and outside hitter Whitney Rutledge to lead the Lady Hornets in 2008. "I think Azle looks pretty good this year," Scogin said. "We lost some key players, but I feel that we worked hard in the off-season, and my girls are ready to step up to the challenge." Boswell won its district championship last season as well, but lost in the area round to Denton. The Lady Pioneers lost some major firepower, including Kristen Hester, district 6-4A's most valuable player in 2007, but will return middle back Taylor Jacobs and outside hitter Sam Cool, both of whom earned first-team all-district honors last season. Birdville is the fourth team that is in the hunt for a district championship in district 6-4A, as Kendal Ford, Caitlyn Juarez, Sydni Levy, Amber Shepherd, Rachel Parra and Kelsey Plunk all earned some form ofdistrict honors last year, and all six of which are back for 2008. The Lady Hawks did lose the 6-4A Most Valuable Defensive Player of 2007 in Nicole Vanderlaan, but have more than enough tools to make a run at a district title. Springtown, Brewer and Mineral Wells will all look to make some noise in the district this year, but will have a hard row to hoe. Saginaw coach Gina Calkins said not to count her team out of the playoff hunt, either, as the Lady Rough Riders will return five starters to this year's squad. The Lady Rough Riders finished 5-11 in district competition in 2007. DISTRICT 7-4A Arlington Heights has long been the team to beat among the Fort Worth schools, and it does not appear that will change this year. The Lady Yellow Jackets have finished 16-0 for two consecutive seasons and have three returning starters, all of which earned district honors in 2007. Coach Jack Warren was named Coach of the Year in district 7-4A last year and said he is extremely optimistic heading into this season. "I have nine players that were on the varsity roster coming back," Warren said. "Of those nine returners, five of them have played club volleyball. I am hoping for us to kind of pick up where we left off in district." Warren said he expects Taylor and Brooke Halsey, along with Whitney Davis and Kelly Detmer to be among the team leaders for the Lady Yellowjackets this season. Arlington Heights has made the post-season for the last 13 consecutive years. Southwest went 13-3 in district 7-4A competition and lost to Stephenville in the bi-district round of the playoffs last season. The Raiders should vie for one of the other playoff spots behind Arlington Heights. Coach Sonya Manning said she is expecting middle back Arienna Howard and setter Mercedes Wheatfall to have good seasons. "We're going to definitely be competitive," Manning said. "But we are young, and we're re-building...I believe we can make a playoff run again, and I think it is going to be interesting with the re-districting with North Side and Western Hills coming back into the district. In the past, when schools have come back, they come back a little stronger and a little more competitive." Several of the 7-4A coaches mentioned Dunbar as being a legitimate contender for a post-season position, even with the loss of last season's 7-4A Outstanding Setter E'Tasha Keeton, and O.D. Wyatt, who was the district runner-up last year, should be in the hunt as well. The Lady Chaparrals lost three key components to last year's playoff team in Hannah Punch, Camille Williams and Antoinette Thompson, but the 2007 Newcomer of the Year middle blocker Briana Walker and middle back LaTara Jones should step into those leadership roles. "Briana can pretty much do whatever I need her to do," coach Myran Strider said. "Even though we're re-building, I'm still looking for us to make the playoffs." Wyatt finished 18-13 overall in 2007 and 13-3 in district competition. A dark horse to watch for in district 7-4A this season is Eastern Hills, who finished in fifth place in 2007 and is returning five starting players. The Lady Highlanders could march into one of the top four positions within the district, and coach Sonia Van Gilder said she likes her team's chances. "I only lost one senior," Van Gilder said. "Although we were very young, we have most of our team back." Van Gilder said she is expecting Catherine Richardson to step into a leadership role for the Lady Highlanders this season. South Hills, Trimble Tech and North Side will all try to improve this year, and North Side coach Paula Pederson said her JV team actually won the city championship in 2007, and with the move from 6-4A to 7-4A, said she thinks Northside could be "on the bubble" for a playoff spot. Polytechnic coach Diana Gonzalez said her team should be much better than its second-to-last place finish in district last year, and Western Hills coach Suzette Pritchett said the Lady Cougars should not be overlooked either. "I look for us to be in the top four," Pritchett said. "I'm returning four starters, and I have a whole group of seniors coming back this year." Pritchett said she expects outside hitter Yuliana Lementova and Farryn Valdespino to have good years. DISTRICT 8-4A Mansfield Legacy is hoping to begin a legacy in its first season in district 8-4A, and just its second year as a varsity program. Legacy played its inaugural season in 2007, where it finished third in district 4-5A with a record of 11-5 and advanced three rounds in the playoffs. The Lady Broncos lost in the regional quarterfinals to Amarillo last season, and coach Jennifer Chandler said she believes her team is ready to make a run once again. "There is a certain expectation within our program that our previous players have set, which will make things a smoother transition," Chandler said. "We lost one coach, so most of the coaching staff have worked together for a year to know and understand my expectations for this program." The most important thing for Legacy is that the team is returning every starter from last year's playoff team. Chandler said she is looking for seniors Caitlyn Hudson ( 324 kills, 204 digs, 37 aces), Maria Turner (134 kills, 122 digs, 27 aces), and Paige Tabor (194 assists, 257 digs, 70 aces) to help lead Legacy to the playoffs this season. Crowley made it to the regional quarterfinals in 2007, where the team lost to Aledo, and will be without DaVarika Johnson and Emily Erickson, but should have enough to contend for a playoff spot as well. Stephenville will look to Kelsey Anglin, last season's Co-Newcomer of the Year in district 8-4A to lead the way for the Lady Yellowjackets this season. Stephenville advanced to the area round last season and lost to Denton Guyer. Arlington Seguin, Everman and Granbury should be competitive this season, and Mansfield Timberview and Joshua could both be in the running for a playoff position. Timberview is moving down from 5A, and Joshua's 2007 first-team all-district selection Jordan Neal will try to help the Lady Owls get to the post-season. 3A DISTRICT 11-3A Entering her seventh season as Castleberry's coach, Patty Grimmett has built up an impressive resume. Her teams have made six playoff trips. She's won three district championships. And perhaps most importantly, her players are self-motivated to carry on the winning tradition. "I don't care who we have, they expect and they believe we can win," said Grimmett, who returns just four players from last year's district championship-winning team. "I think the tradition of winning gives our kids confidence. At the same time, every team you play, if they beat you they think that's a big notch on their belt. Sometimes you bring out the best in those teams, and that's hard." Even though the Lions appear to be in shape to repeat as 11-3A champions, Grimmett isn't in the business of making predictions. That's partly because the coach is busy figuring out who will hold down certain key positions, such as libero and setter, and who will step up in place of former star Kira Tillman, who was named district MVP last year as a senior. The cupboard is hardly bare, though. The Lions still have the services of senior Kalie Roberts. Last season, she was named all-district as an outside hitter, but she spent a significant portion of the district season filling in for the team's starting setter. Grimmett said Roberts would even make a good libero. Roberts and fellow seniors Vivian Flores, Nicole Clark, Laura Amaya and Magali Castaneda, who was a second-team all-district selection a year ago, will need to be on top of their game if the Lions are to hold off challengers Lake Worth and Diamond Hill-Jarvis. Lake Worth finished as the district's runner-up last season, but was tied for first place with Castleberry entering the final district game. The Lady Frogs are led by a duo of all-district performers, middle blocker Tiffany Cromwell and outside hitter Krystle Cook. Diamond-Hill-Jarvis, a surprise playoff team in 2007, is led by all-district middle blocker Celia Vedana. Eagles coach Lillian Talamantez last season was named the district's co-coach of the year along with Grimmett. The district also includes Fort Worth Carter-Riverside, which moved down from the 4A ranks. "I have high expectations," Grimmett said. "We'll have to see what happens." DISTRICT 8-3A Like Castleberry, Argyle has every reason to carry plenty of confidence into the 2008 season. The Eagles plowed through the competition last season en route to the District 8-3A title. Argyle has moved into the revamped District 9-3A, where it should continue to be at the head of the class. The Eagles return talented seniors Bailey O'Brien, an all-district selection in '07, and Jessica Bonfield, last year's 8-3A MVP. However, Argyle could face a stiff test from Whitesboro. Despite finishing behind Argyle in the standings last season, the Bearcats actually made a deeper playoff push than the Eagles, losing to Borger in the regional quarterfinals. Whitesboro is led by senior all-district performers Kortney Beebe and Rachel Stringer. Argyle's district also includes Sanger, which fell short of the playoffs a year ago. DISTRICT 12-3A Although Kennedale is in the same neighborhood, many of its neighbors have changed. That is, the Wildcats remain in District 12-3A, but Central Texas opponents Hillsboro, West, Glen Rose and 2007 district champion Whitney have been replaced by Dallas-area teams Kaufman, Crandall and Ferris. Also new to the district is Fort Worth-area opponent Alvarado, which moved down from Class 4A. Kennedale should have as good a chance as any team to win the overhauled district. The Wildcats advanced to the area round last season, falling to regional semifinalist Lucas Lovejoy. Although the Wildcats lost district MVP Miranda Guzman to graduation, they return all-district selections Meagan Burgess and Sarah Schramme. Other than Kennedale, the only current member of 12-3A to make the playoffs last season was Crandall, which lost to Athens in bi-district.