DISTRICT 3-5A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW 🏐🔥

It feels strange calling September 1 a big night in district play, but in District 3-5A, that is exactly what tonight is.

After tonight, we will already be 30% of the way through district play, and this is about the point where teams can start separating themselves from the pack.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the WAY TOO EARLY playoff implications of every matchup tonight.

Evie Vaughn hammers a kill at the LCP Tournament (Ryder Grace Liles for Sideline Sports)

Lubbock-Cooper (20-5, 2-0) at Tascosa (12-12, 2-0)

This is the only matchup tonight featuring two teams still unbeaten in district play.

The winner is guaranteed to come out of the night with at least a share of the district lead, but just as important, they will still have a clean district slate.

The biggest question for me is whether Broox Lopez can lead the Lady Pirates into Amarillo and bring home a road win. This is the type of game her veteran experience and elite playmaking ability has a major impact on.

Tascosa is a tough place to play, but it is also a trip Lubbock-Cooper knows well. If the Lady Pirates can handle the environment and limit unforced errors, this could be one of the biggest early statements of district play.

Amarillo (16-8, 2-0) at Monterey (12-9, 1-1)

This feels like a huge opportunity for Monterey.

If the Lady Plainsmen can knock off the district favorite at home, it would go a long way toward strengthening their playoff position as we move deeper into the schedule.

Amarillo High, meanwhile, comes in with a ton of momentum after a great weekend in Colleyville where the Lady Sandies faced some outstanding competition and knocked off back to back defending State Champion Decatur.

Junior Dillan Ray has exploded onto the scene and already looks comfortable directing an offense loaded with weapons, including the hammer Harper Vaughan.

Monterey has a chance to make a statement tonight but Amarillo looks like a team starting to find another gear.

Coronado (11-9, 0-2) at Frenship (18-9, 2-0)

We talked in our predistrict preview about just how difficult Coronado’s opening stretch was going to be.

After dropping a tough 5 set match to Monterey to open district play, the Lady Mustangs are already about as close as you can realistically get to a must win on September 1.

An 0-3 start would be extremely difficult to overcome in a district this deep.

There is plenty of talent on this Coronado roster, including who I believe is the best libero in the district in Addi Brown. The question is whether the Lady Mustangs can manufacture enough offense consistently to finish points.

Frenship comes into this one playing really good volleyball and carrying momentum after making a run to the championship match of their tournament this past weekend.

Ellie Thane does a great job directing a balanced offense, while freshman Annslee Rangel has been a really nice addition defensively on the back row.

This one has major implications on both ends of the standings.

Frenship Memorial (10-14, 0-2) at Lubbock High (13-12, 1-1)

Memorial finds itself in much the same position as Coronado.

A difficult district schedule out of the gate has the Panthers already looking up at the standings, but there is still plenty of talent at Coach Gibson’s disposal and I fully expect Memorial to come out aggressive tonight.

On the other side is an upstart Lubbock High team that has quietly put itself in a really interesting position.

Addisyn Moser and Lincoln Scheppler have gotten some reinforcements from freshmen Maddie Nall and Cam Herring, and the Lady Westerners look like a team that believes it can make a run.

A win tonight would put Lubbock High at 2-1 in district and guarantee them at least a share of fourth place after three matches.

That would be a really strong start.

Palo Duro (3-11, 0-2) at Caprock (2-8, 0-2)

At the end of the night, one of these programs will have its first district win of the season.

Both teams are still working to build their volleyball programs in one of the toughest districts in the State.

I got to see Palo Duro at the Lubbock-Cooper Tournament and came away impressed with how athletic and competitive they are.

It is not easy trying to establish momentum in a district with this much depth but both Palo Duro and Caprock are putting in the work and tonight gives one of them a chance to see that work rewarded in the win column.

WHY TONIGHT MATTERS

It is still early.

Very early.

But after tonight, every team in District 3-5A will have played three district matches.

That is enough volleyball for the standings to start telling us something.

Will one of the unbeaten teams separate itself?

Can Monterey or Lubbock High position themselves firmly in the playoff race?

Can Coronado or Memorial avoid falling into an early hole?

We will know a lot more about the shape of this district when tonight is over.