Flour Bluff is headed back to the UIL state volleyball final. The Lady Hornets swept Georgetown 25-17, 25-22 and 25-20 in the Class 5A Division I state semifinal in Katy, earning a spot in the state championship match for the second time in program history.
Flour Bluff (37-10) entered the match as the underdog against a Georgetown squad that came in at 44-6, but the Lady Hornets drew on the experience gained from their 2024 state championship run to overpower the Lady Eagles in straight sets. The loss brought an end to a standout season for Georgetown.
"It means a lot. The first year meant a lot because I won State right alongside my sister (Maggie), but this year everybody did not expect us to make it this far," said Flour Bluff senior outside hitter Kate Croft. "We did it, and I'm so proud of my team."
Execution made the difference for the Lady Hornets. Texas State signee Nya White led the way with 14 kills, while Alyssa Thornton added 11 and Croft finished with 7. Kristina Rodriguez and Adelyn Wallace each recorded 15 assists in setting up the attack. Croft did her biggest damage from the service line, delivering 4 aces, while Mayo and Wallace chipped in one ace apiece.
Flour Bluff's defense also had to answer Georgetown setter Amelia Albright, a Florida Gator signee, and her hitters. Rodriguez led the Lady Hornets with 16 digs, senior libero Addison Mayo contributed 11 and Emily Eggleston added 10. At the net, Aliana Thornton tallied 3.5 blocks, followed by her sister Alyssa with 3 and White with 2.5.
For one Lady Hornet, the victory carried extra meaning because she shared it with her mother, head coach Kara Wallace, and her teammates. "It felt electric, like everybody was doing their job perfectly," she said, adding that she felt the team was prepared for the moment.
Flour Bluff will now try to claim the second state championship in program history when it faces Highland Park on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. Only two other Coastal Bend volleyball programs, Gregory-Portland and Refugio, have won two state titles.
