Decatur coach Stormi Snider hugs outside hitter Ava Green during a postgame celebration after the Lady Eagles (41-7) swept Lindale — 25-14, 25-12, 25-14 — in the 4A Division I state semifinals Saturday at Fort Worth ISD’s Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Decatur Lady Eagles will have a shot of defending their 2024 4A Division I state title, and to bring home the program’s seventh overall championship crown.
Despite finding themselves in unfamiliar territory in their 4A Division I state semifinal match against Lindale — trailing by 4 points early in the first set — a defensive adjustment called out by Decatur coach Stormi Snider proved to be the right call to turn the team’s trajectory.
From there, the Lady Eagles went on a 73-34 run throughout the remainder of the match, allowing Decatur (41-7) to earn its second straight state championship match berth under Snider a with a sweep against Lindale (33-15) at Fort Worth ISD’s Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center — 25-14, 25-12, 25-12.
“The girls have really shifted into another gear over the past few weeks, and it’s really showing,” Snider said. “They’re just leaving it all on the court every single game. The losses we had to Eagle Mountain and Springtown in district, as well as the loss to Springtown in the tie-breaker game, have really spurred us on this push, and they helped us to reset out mindset. We learned we’re not invincible, and [the losses] really made us double-check what we’re doing — is it working, or is it not working, and what do we need to do to fix it? The girls have come in day-in and day-out to work on our weaknesses and even strengthen our strengths.”
Earning the program’s seventh state championship match berth, the Lady Eagles will face La Vernia (42-9) 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 at Garland’s Curtis Culwell Center. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
With the win, Decatur will face La Vernia in the 4AI championship match 4 p.m. Friday, Nov 21 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland.
La Vernia (42-9) swept Decatur’s postseason rival and 2024 state runner-up Bellville in its state semifinal match Saturday — 25-18, 25-18, 25-16.
“We knew this season was going to look different, but it doesn’t matter what path you take to get there,” Snider said. “We just knew we wanted to get back there, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. But the work’s not done yet. We have next week to key-in on what La Vernia strengths and weaknesses are, and how we can fine-tune our game plan. It’s going to be a battle, but I think we’re ready.”
Lindale’s strong hits by Alyssa Potts and Ella Hutchens, as well as an ace from Mary Luster and a block from Hutchens, put Decatur on its heels early in a 6-2 hole.
Noticing how Lindale’s hitters were hitting the ball low to the net, Snider quickly changed up Decatur’s defensive game plan — a gamble that paid off with the Lady Eagles’ 23-8 run to claim the first set win.
“We knew that their middles were going to run fast,” Snider said. “I think it just took us a few points for us to settle, and for us to realize that we could block them even though they were running fast. Our middles and pins adjusted well, and they sped up their block to neutralize their hitters.”
Decatur sophomore outside hitter Ava Green finished with nine kills in Decatur’s 3-0 win over Lindale — 25-14, 25-12, 25-14 — in the 4A Division I state semifinals Saturday at Fort Worth ISD’s Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Tied at 3 to start the second set, Decatur continued to ride its wave of momentum fueled by kills from its sophomore duo of outside hitter Ava Green and middle blocker Sayler Peck, as well as Lindale miscues, on a 7-0 attack to force a timeout.
Green and Peck kept their heavy hits coming out of the break, while junior outside hitter/right side hitter Anna Wren and senior outside hitter/right side hitter Greyson Harrison got into the mix to extend its lead to 11 (19-8), consuming another Lindale stoppage. The Lady Eagles took a 2-0 set lead behind a 6-4 closing push, capped off by a hard hit from freshman outside hitter/right side hitter Gracelyn Byford.
“Once we stepped on the gas, there was no letting up,” Snider said. “We proved that we could hang with them, and that we had strengths and we were going to use them.”
Green was Decatur’s top hitter, finishing with nine kills and a .333 hitting percentage. She also finished with three block assists and one dig.
“All of us who sat the bench last year joked a lot about how we’d get to play this year,” Green said. “I think I really gained my confidence this year throughout the season. It’s just been really amazing to see the growth in everybody. We’ve got a lot of contributors, and I think [setter] Grace [Fortune] does a great job running me as much as possible, and I really appreciate her for that. And our defense has been phenomenal. Every pass gets a good set, and every good set gets a kill. It’s a perfect combination.”
Decatur setter Grace Fortune sets the ball for middle blocker Sayler Peck during the third set of the team’s 4A Division state semifinal victory over Lindale Saturday at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Lady Eagles overwhelmed a stunned Lindale squad, scoring the first six points of the third set thanks to kills by junior middle blocker Harper Smith and Fortune, as well as a pair of aces by senior defensive specialist Tatum Huff. Green and Peck combined for a block, while Wren and Peck put down one kill each and junior setter Lexie Miller aced Lindale, giving Decatur a 14-7 lead before another Lindale timeout.
Green, Peck and Smith combined for five kills on the team’s 11-7 final run. Harrison — who missed Decatur’s 2024 state championship game after tearing her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in its area win over Graham — landed the final point to send the Lady Eagles back to Garland.
“It was a full-circle moment,” Harrison said. “The people that helped me get here, I knew they had confidence in me. I was just happy to be the one to get us where we’re supposed to be. I think it’s going to be a little bit overwhelming in our next game because of how long it took me to get here and everything that I’ve been through. But I know that our team is going to have the energy, the skills, the confidence and the support that we need to get it.”
Fortune led the Lady Eagles at the service line, tallying four of the team’s 10 aces. She also doled out 29 of Decatur’s 33 assists in the win, surpassing the 1,500 career mark.
“Going to state with this team is everything to me, and I couldn’t do anything that I do without them,” Fortune said. “I love this team, these girls and Coach Snider, and I play every game for them. I think this year’s team has a really strong connection that pushes us toward everything. We play extremely strong as a team — no one can break our connection, and no one can get in our heads… We knew they wouldn’t lose easily and that we’d have to hit around them. Our offense is firing at the right time, and we’re just putting balls down left and right.”
Decatur middle blocker Harper Smith, Anna Wren and Ava Green celebrate after a block by Smith in the team’s 4A Division I state semifinal win over Lindale Saturday at Fort Worth’s Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Defensively, junior libero Hope Escobar was the lone Lady Eagle to hit double-digits in digs, finishing with 12 to climb over 1,000 in her career.
“Lindale had big hitters and a big block, so coverage was very important,” Escobar said. “By staying home, communicating and trusting each other has helped us get through and get us where we’re at right now. We trust each other, and that’s rally all you need to do to be successful — just have confidence in one another and with the team.”
Smith also reached a career-high mark, racking up her 100th block by finishing with three solo stops and one assist.
“Today was already filled with so much joy, and that just added on top of it,” Smith said. “We’ve started a little bit slow in the last few playoff games, and we’ve realized we need to come together and pick it up as a team. Lindale is a good team, and we gave them credit because they made it to [the state semifinals], too. But once we just got over and pressed, and did our blocking assignments, then it was a pretty easy way to get a block.”
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