There might not have been a bigger surprise in the 2022 UIL state volleyball playoffs than the Abilene High Lady Eagles. After all, 23 matches into the season, the Lady Eagles were 7-16 and scrambling to find their way as District 4-5A play began.
But something happened before the start of district play, and the Lady Eagles rode the momentum into the program’s first berth in the state playoffs since 2015. AHS finished 7-5 in the league – good enough for third place – and despite being just 16-20 overall heading into the postseason, the Lady Eagles became the giant slayer in Region I.
The Lady Eagles carried their momentum into the Class 5A state playoffs, where they ripped off wins over Amarillo Tascosa, El Paso Hanks, and El Paso High to earn the program’s first berth in the regional tournament since 2007.
They lost in the Region I-5A Tournament semifinals to Birdville, but in their playoff run, they knocked off a Hanks team that had gone 10-0 en route to winning the District 2-5A championship and then beat an El Paso High team that went 15-0 on its way to winning the District 1-5A title.
The Lady Eagles, who finished the season 19-21, had completed a remarkable in-season turnaround under third-year head coach Caroline Cleveland, who was a player for AHS the last time the Lady Eagles had reached the regional tournament before 2022.
And now the Lady Eagles return for what they hope will be an encore in 2023 with a returning cast that includes all-district selections Kinzley Cantu at libero, Allie Bennett at outside hitter, Laila Brown at defensive specialist, and Yasmine Delagarza at defensive specialist, along with Amelia Carr, Emily Jordan, Ava Breckenridge, and Maddie McMillon. Key newcomers will be sophomores Olivia Weatherford and Whitley Wright.
The Lady Eagles’ season starts this weekend (Aug. 4-5) at Eagle Gym, with District 4-5A play set to begin Friday, Sept. 8, when they go across town to take on Wylie at 5 p.m. at Bulldog Gym.
Below is a season preview capsule and a brief Q&A with Coach Cleveland.
ABILENE HIGH SCHOOL 2023 VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
Coach (seasons as head coach / overall record): Caroline Cleveland (3rd season / 37-42)
Last season (overall record, district record, district finish): 19-21 overall (7-5, 3rd place in District 4-5A)
Previous playoff appearance (year, result): 2022 (def. Amarillo Tascosa, 3-1, in bi-district; def. El Paso Hanks, 3-2, in area round; def. El Paso High, 3-1, in regional quarterfinals; lost to Birdville, 3-0, in Region I-5A semifinals)
Last district championship (year): 2008 (11-1 in District 3-5A)
2023 District and Opponents: District 4-5A (Cooper, Abilene Wylie, Lubbock High, Lubbock Cooper, Lubbock Coronado, Lubbock Monterey)
Letterwinners Returning / Lost: 8/4
Top Returners (name, classification, position, 2022 honors):Laila Brown, sr, defensive specialist/libero (honorable mention All-District 4-5A); Yasmine Delagarza, sr, setter/defensive specialist (honorable mention All-District 4-5A); Kinzley Cantu, jr, defensive specialist/libero (2nd team All-District 4-5A), Allie Bennett, soph, outside hitter (honorable mention All-District 4-5A.
Top Newcomers (name, classification, position):Olivia Weatherford, soph., middle blocker; Whitley Wright, soph., setter
2023 Team Strengths: “How much we care for each other. These girls have battled and bonded in and out of season. They all work hard when they are on the court, work hard on their strength and conditioning, and we have returners that are awesome leaders on and off the court. These girls are eager to show everyone how hard they have been working.”
2023 Team Weaknesses: “We have some young players in key spots. However, these young players are hungry to learn and to fill the shoes of the previous players.”
2023 Goals: “Better overall record than we had in 2022 and make another playoff run in 2023.”
Q&A with Coach Cleveland
Q: You said last year that you thought your team in 2022 would be one to be reckoned with. When you were 7-16, it didn’t look that way. But you rallied to win 12 of your last 17 and reach the regional tournament. What gave you that kind of confidence?
Cleveland: “The girls always had the skills, passion, enthusiasm, and work ethic to get there. We just had to make them believe how good they were. Once they started believing it, it was hard for the team to stop.”
Q: You got the weight off your back by making the playoffs last year and going to the regional tournament. How do you follow that up?
Cleveland: “I don’t think there is truly any weight off our backs. Each year you come to work, practice, and do your best every day. These girls are putting the work in, and we’re excited to see how they will perform this coming season.”
Q: Obviously, you lost two key players in Jadyn Hernandez and Alexis Dolton. Still, you’ve got a lot of quality players returning. Do you have to change how you play, or do you expect those returners to step into those shoes?
Cleveland: “We lost some good players last season, but we don’t change how we train. We train hard and get better every day we step into the gym. You can’t expect the same from season to season or from player to player. You have to implement what is best for your team, players, and program. We will look different this year, but different is good, and these girls are comfortable with being uncomfortable. And that is how we grow as people, players, and a program.”
Q: Who will step into those spots – setter and middle blocker – for this team in 2023?
Cleveland: “We have a group of great returners coming back. We think that Yasmine Delagarza will do a great job stepping in and running the offense, and Emily Jordan is also returning and will do a great job at middle blocker. You never know who will step up to the plate, and we have a good group returning.”
Q: After last season’s success, how do you think your team will respond?
Cleveland: “We will respond the same way. Playing the best early in the season, playing the best during the district season, and seeing the best in playoffs. Each season is a new chance to carry out the legacy and history of Abilene High volleyball.”