The record: 13-0.
If someone said that was the current record of a team in Northwest (TX) ISD, one would automatically think of the Byron Nelson Bobcats, they of the No. 1 state and national ranking for most of the 2018-19 season.
As a side note: the Bobcats of Brianne Groth are currently 12-1, having only lost the championship match last weekend in the Ann Kang tournament last weekend in Hawaii.
Back to the Eaton Eagles of Diane Wilson, she of the 525-plus career coaching victories.
The Eagles are that 13-0 squad after going 3-0 in Day One of the Northwest ISD (NISD) Volleyball Classic on Thursday. Most impressive was Eaton's final pool victory over Sachse, a match that saw Eaton lose the first set 25-20 but get some balance after and win the next two sets, 25-19 and 25-21.
"That match (and comeback) was a really good measuring stick on what our potential is," stated Wilson, who totals over 525 career coaching victories. "This was a statement win for the program - to this point of the season. I've done this a long time; you can't get too excited about a team in early August."
That said, there's still plenty to be excited about with the Eagles, who overcame the strong hitting and blocking of Sachse's Mustangs to advance to a championship pool on Friday in the NISD Classic.
"They're so strong up front and defensively," Wilson admitted. "Their setters are extremely talented; they have a good coaching and are consistent throughout a match.
"But as they did in the Landers tournament, our girls were able to overcome early deficits and figure out what they had to do to win. A coach couldn't be prouder of a team than I am of these girls."
Wilson, who has coached the Eaton program since it started as a JV-only squad in 2015, knows there will be many more challenges on Friday. The Eagles are paired with Randall (the top-ranked team in Class 5A at the moment) and El Paso Coronado (a state-ranked 6A team), as well as Parish Epsicopal (Dallas).
"When you get to Day Two of a good tournament, you're going to face those kinds of teams," Wilson declared. "Randall is a (legend) in Class 5A play; El Paso Coronado is one of the best out west. The girls are going to learn a lot about themselves tomorrow!"
Day 2 of NISD Classic
Besides the power-packed pool that features Eaton, Randall and El Paso Coronado, there's some great matchups in the seven Championship pools lined up for Friday.
Flower Mound, the top-ranked team in Texas as well as the USA, plays in a pool that contains Coppell and Keller. Hebron, the former 3-time defending 6A champ from two years ago, headlines a pool that also has Waxahachie and co-host Northwest High School.
And, one of the three-team championship pools features Southlake Carroll playing Aledo and Austin Vandegrift. All three teams are state-ranked: Carroll and Vandegrift in 6A and Aledo in 5A.
VYPE LIVE will be broadcasting matches from the NISD Volleyball Classic on Friday as well. Be sure to tune in for some great volleyball action! Be sure to follow @VYPE_LIVE on Twitter for broadcast updates throughout the day and the weekend.