New Braunfels and Boerne moved one step nearer to a state quarterfinal conflict after recording sweeps in a playoff doubleheader Tuesday night time at Littleton Fitness center.
New Braunfels turned away Burbank, 25-7, 25-14, 25-18 in a Class 5A Division II second spherical playoff. That preceded Boerne's 25-14, 25-14, 25-19 victory in opposition to Fox Tech.
New Braunfels (30-18) subsequent faces Victoria West within the regional semifinals later this week. Boerne (31-6) will meet Sharyland Pioneer in the identical spherical. These winners matchup within the state quarterfinals early subsequent week.
New Braunfels is aiming for back-to-back state semifinal runs. This time, the Unicorns try to get there with a brand new coach, Danielle Coleman, who changed Kate Norris, who accepted a job on the newly opened Tomball West.
Coleman involves New Braunfels with a powerful resumé, which features a four-season stint at La Vernia the place she guided the Bears to final yr's Class 4A Division I state remaining with a 43-10 document. The Specific-Information chosen Coleman as its 2025 Coach of the Yr for these efforts.
"Truthfully from the beginning, it was a bit of powerful switching to how Coleman does her factor," New Braunfels senior Shaylie Schaefer stated. "She does various things, and it's been very impactful to our program, and it's exhibiting on this run we’re making in playoffs."
Schaefer and senior libero Hayden Jeffers had been the important thing returners for the Unicorns. Previous to the season, they gathered collectively to navigate how they'd lead their inexperienced teammates by means of the teaching transition.
"We had a deep dialog, and we needed to present them how to do that and be there and be supportive each time, even when they’re having arduous instances," Schaefer stated. "We needed to be there extra on the psychological facet as a result of we positively had the bodily functionality."
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After some early bumps within the type of a 16-16 non-district document, the Unicorns discovered their legs in District 25-5A play the place they went 12-2 with a pair of losses in opposition to Smithson Valley, which went undefeated throughout league play. They had been acquainted with Coleman's stint at La Vernia, so that they knew they had been in good palms. It was only a matter of adjusting.
"To say it was simple would most likely be a lie," Jeffers stated. "You by no means know when you’ve got any individual new, and I really feel prefer it couldn’t have gone higher. We love her a lot. She positively makes us work arduous."
That work ethic confirmed Tuesday when the Unicorns cruised with an enormous first set and battled by means of some early back-and-forths in units two and three earlier than locking it up. Senior Dylan Boddicker led the Unicorns with 11 kills.
In the meantime, Boerne is having fun with its greatest season since 2012, once they Greyhounds gained 34 matches and superior to the Class 4A state quarterfinals. Extra considerably for the 2026 Greyhounds, they’re making their first playoff run underneath third-year coach Staci Lawrence.
Lauren Magnus, Ava Seamans and Bella Pettet had been sophomores on Lawrence's first Boerne staff two years in the past. After going 19-17 general and 3-13 in district final yr, the Greyhounds targeted on getting their staff chemistry in a great spot.
"We actually labored on our staff tradition and dealing on stuff off the courtroom," Magnus stated. "That simply made our expertise on the courtroom loads smoother. It's been actually enjoyable to develop collectively (with Seamans and Pettet) and simply be right here for all three years and watch our arduous work get proven out."
The Greyhounds placed on an environment friendly efficiency in opposition to Fox Tech (18-16). Seamans had seven kills on 11 swings. Brook Summers had 10 kills. Magnus had 25 assists.
Boerne managed many of the match and infrequently fell behind.
"We did a very good job at speaking and conserving excessive power all through the sport," Magnus stated. "It form of received sluggish in some elements, so we needed to preserve excessive power and speaking."
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