Volleyball: The Woodlands Answers Oak Ridge Push, Wins District Match in Four

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The Highlanders recover after a one-sided third set to win 25-20, 25-20, 14-25, 25-16 and create separation in the District 13-6A standings.

THE WOODLANDS 3, OAK RIDGE 1

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The Woodlands defeated Oak Ridge 3-1 Tuesday night at The Woodlands High School, winning the first two sets, absorbing Oak Ridge's strongest push of the match and responding in the fourth to finish a 25-20, 25-20, 14-25, 25-16 District 13-6A victory.

The Woodlands established control with consecutive 25-20 wins before the match changed sharply in the third. Oak Ridge took over that set 25-14, cutting the match deficit to 2-1 and putting the Highlanders in position to either respond or allow the War Eagles to force a fifth.

The Woodlands responded.

A 25-16 fourth set ended the comeback and gave the Highlanders a victory in a match that directly affected the top half of the district standings.

The Woodlands and Oak Ridge entered Tuesday tied for third at 4-2, behind Grand Oaks at 6-0 and College Park at 5-1. With seven matches remaining in the 14-match district schedule, the win moved The Woodlands to 5-2 and dropped Oak Ridge to 4-3.

Defense Gives The Woodlands Its Foundation

Oak Ridge's ability to attack was central to The Woodlands coach Terri Wade's plan before the match.

“I think we knew that we were going to just have to be big defenders because they have great hitters, they have a lot of offense,” Wade said.

The War Eagles demonstrated that ability throughout the night, finishing with 39 kills on 87 attacks and a .264 hitting percentage. Senior Allison Luke led Oak Ridge with 11 kills, senior Marilyn Lindsey had 10 and junior Faith Gandy added nine.

But The Woodlands continued extending points.

Wade said she considered adding more offense at different points in the match, including another back-row hitter, but ultimately returned to what her team was doing best.

“We just had to focus on what we're good at and keep playing the defense,” Wade said. “And the offense came after that.”

Junior setter Mya Dickerson finished with 38 assists and 11 digs, while senior Olivia Hertel recorded 17 digs and two aces.

Wade said some of the most important defensive work could be seen in the lengths players were willing to go to keep rallies alive.

“You can see defense running into the chairs, running into the cheerleaders,” Wade said. “They are just everywhere on the court to keep playing that ball and save it and keep it alive.”

Oak Ridge Changes the Match

For two sets, Oak Ridge stayed within five points but could not get over the top.

The third was different.

The War Eagles turned a pair of 25-20 losses into a convincing 25-14 win, producing their best stretch of volleyball of the night and taking the momentum away from The Woodlands.

Wade believed part of that change came from her own team.

“I felt like we were just a little relaxed,” she said.

Wade said volleyball's momentum can quickly affect the mental side of a match. Once The Woodlands fell into a lull, she said errors increased and the Highlanders began playing with more of a “let's not lose” mentality instead of continuing to attack.

That made the fourth set an important test.

Rather than allowing one poor set to become a second, The Woodlands regained control and won by nine.

For Wade, that fits into a larger issue she has been working through all season.

Injuries, players moving in and out of the lineup and eligibility issues have made establishing consistency difficult. Wade said The Woodlands is beginning to move beyond playing individual good sets and toward playing complete matches.

Tuesday was not a perfect four-set performance, but the Highlanders did not allow their worst set of the night to determine the match.

Execution Remains the Issue for Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge coach Andrea Gipson did not leave the match questioning whether her team has enough ability.

Her concern was turning that ability into consistent execution.

“Got a lot of talent on this team, but we're not executing right now,” Gipson said.

The match statistics reflected that contrast.

Oak Ridge produced 39 kills, seven aces and 12 total blocks, but also committed 16

attacking errors and 11 serve-receive errors.

Gipson said some aggressive swings need to become placement shots when the situation does not call for hitting through the ball. She also singled out serve receive as an area that must improve because poor first contacts prevent Oak Ridge from transitioning into its offense. Oakridge Coach Discusses Team E…

That was the difference between flashes and sustained control Tuesday.

Oak Ridge showed in the third set that it could put The Woodlands under significant pressure. The challenge now is producing that level over an entire match.

The Second Half Carries More Weight

The standings entering Tuesday already showed separation developing among the district's top four teams.

That makes the second trip through the schedule particularly important.

There will be district matches in which the teams near the top face opponents farther down the standings, but the head-to-head games involving Grand Oaks, College Park, The Woodlands and Oak Ridge have greater potential to affect the district championship and postseason seeding.

The Woodlands received a reminder of that four days earlier in a five-set loss to Grand Oaks.

Wade said the result was disappointing, but the performance showed her players what they were capable of doing offensively.

“It gave us a boost of confidence, and it let them know that they can do it,” Wade said.

Against Oak Ridge, The Woodlands followed that performance with a result it could put in the standings.

Oak Ridge's Window Is Now

The second half also carries a different kind of urgency for Oak Ridge.

Several of the War Eagles' important contributors are seniors, including Luke, Lindsey, Micah Rusher, Brooklyn McQueary and Isabella Henry. Luke and Lindsey combined for 21 kills Tuesday, while McQueary led Oak Ridge with 15 digs.

Gipson knows much of that experience will not be back next season.

She said she expects next year to be a rebuilding season because Oak Ridge will lose “a lot of big hitters” and key players.

That gives this group seven district matches to make the adjustments Gipson is emphasizing now.

“We want to upset a lot of teams that got us this first round,” Gipson said.

She said opponents have also begun identifying Oak Ridge players they want to target with serves and attacks. Film study is being used to help those players recognize what opponents are doing and respond as a group.

“Those kids really just have to lock in, and we have to lock in as a unit,” Gipson said. “We have to do a better job at playing together.”

For Oak Ridge, that process cannot simply be pushed into next season. Its experienced roster has an opportunity now, and Gipson is trying to get the War Eagles playing their most complete volleyball before the postseason arrives.

The Woodlands has its own work remaining. Wade is still trying to settle the lineup, manage health and turn stretches of strong play into match-long consistency.

Those questions become more important in the postseason, when a bad night does not produce another district game a few days later. The playoffs are single elimination.

Tuesday night, The Woodlands experienced a bad set.

More importantly, it answered it.

By The Woodlands Student Center Staff