Rodney Wooters / Woo Doo Photo
Carroll volleyball enters the 2026 season with a championship banner hanging in the gym — and one of the toughest schedules in the area.
The Dragons were ranked No. 6 in The Dallas Morning News’ preseason DFW volleyball rankings, following a historic 2025 season that saw Carroll capture the Class 6A Division II state championship — the first state title in program history.
Carroll finished 35-5 last season and carries a 14-match winning streak into 2026. But the road back to the state tournament won't be easy.
Carroll must replace two All-Americans from last year's championship team: middle blocker Kinsley Young and outside hitter Layla Austin. The Dragons also lost another piece when 6-foot-2 outside/right-side hitter Audree Hughes, a Providence commit, suffered a torn ACL in the spring.
There is little time for the Dragons to ease into the new season, either.
Carroll's non-district schedule is loaded with quality competition, including Frisco Walnut Grove, Colleyville, Denton Guyer, Prosper and Flower Mound. Carroll swept Flower Mound in last year's regional final on the way to the state championship.
Then comes a district slate that may be even more challenging.
Carroll will face Keller twice and, perhaps most notably, square off twice against Trophy Club Byron Nelson — the DMN's No. 1-ranked Class 6A team. Byron Nelson enters the season having won 78 consecutive matches and is the reigning Class 6A Division I state champion, meaning District 4-6A features the reigning champions from both 6A divisions.
The first Carroll-Byron Nelson matchup is Sept. 22 at Northwest, followed by a return meeting Oct. 16 at Carroll.
With Young, Austin, and Hughes no longer available, several Dragons will be asked to fill major roles. Outside hitters Vanessa Glenn and Abigail Clem, middle blocker Finley Orr, right-side hitter Lyla Hyde, setter Mariel Elizondo, and libero Collins Alonzo are expected to make key contributions.
Now Carroll will find out quickly how its new-look roster measures up.
The Dragons open the regular season tomorrow, Aug. 11, against Frisco Walnut Grove before diving into a schedule that will offer little room for error — and plenty of opportunities to prove that last year's championship was the beginning of something bigger.