Courtesy Dragon Volleyball / X.com
The Lady Dragons swept Flower Mound on Tuesday to return to the state tournament for the first time since 2013.
The Carroll Lady Dragons are headed back to state.
With powerful performances from hitters Kinsley Young and Layla Austin, Carroll swept Flower Mound in straight sets (25-22, 25-18, 25-20) Tuesday night to capture the Class 6A Region I volleyball championship and clinch the program’s first UIL State Tournament berth since 2013.
The victory propels the Lady Dragons (33-5) into the state semifinals for just the third time in school history. They’ll face Tomball at 1 p.m. Saturday at Garland's Thomas Coliseum for a shot at the 6A Division II state final.
Young, a 6-foot-4 TCU commit, dominated from the middle with 23 kills, while Austin, who has signed with San Diego State, added 18.
Ranked No. 2 in Texas and No. 21 nationally by MaxPreps, the Lady Dragons showed why they belong among the state’s elite. They never trailed in the opening set, came back to win the second set and held off a Flower Mound rally in the third set to cap off the sweep.
Carroll hasn’t lost a single set since October 17, when Justin Northwest managed to take two in a regular-season match. Since then, the Lady Dragons have found another gear, blending powerful hitting, crisp defense and consistent serving to overpower opponents across the bracket. They recently swept Plano West last week in the regional semifinals.
Flower Mound (36-9), ranked No. 9 in Texas, was appearing in its fourth regional final in eight years.
Now, for the first time in more than a decade, the Lady Dragons are back on the state stage.