Lady Chaparrals sweep Sanger and draw two-time defending champion Decatur in Saturday's state semifinal

Aubrey's volleyball team is going back to the state semifinals.

The Lady Chaparrals swept District 9-4A rival Sanger 25-18, 25-18, 25-13 on Tuesday night at Guyer High in Denton to win their Class 4A Division I regional final, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported. A year ago, Aubrey's season ended in this same round, when Longview Spring Hill beat the Lady Chaparrals 3-1 in the regional final.

Now 43-6, Aubrey meets Decatur (35-10) in the state semifinal round on Saturday. Decatur is the two-time defending 4A Division I champion, according to the Record-Chronicle.

Saturday's match

The University Interscholastic League's state semifinal site list puts the 4A Division I match at 4 p.m. at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, 5201 C.A. Roberson Blvd. in Fort Worth. The 4A Division II semifinal at the same arena starts at 1 p.m.

A familiar round

This will be the program's third state semifinal in five seasons and its fifth overall. Under head coach Whitney Marriott, Aubrey reached the semifinals in 2022, when it advanced to the 4A title match and lost 3-0 to Canyon Randall, and again in 2024, when Randall won a five-set semifinal.

Marriott credited a senior class made up largely of three- and four-year players. "These seniors have done a really good job of leading, and leading by example," she told the Record-Chronicle.

Aubrey controlled the first set from the start with a 10-1 run. Sanger cut the lead to one point midway through the second set before Aubrey answered with a 9-2 run, and the third set was tied 9-9 before the Lady Chaparrals pulled away for good.

Sanger ends at 31-14 after reaching its first regional final since 2018.

The volleyball run comes in a busy week for Aubrey athletics. The football team opens its playoffs Thursday night in Sweetwater.

Sources

Denton Record-Chronicle

uiltexas.org

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