Bushland Lady Falcons crowned 2023 3A UIL state champions

GARLAND, Texas (KFDA) - The Bushland Lady Falcons took down Gunter to win the 2023 3A UIL volleyball state championship.

Both teams fought tooth and nail in each and every set throughout the match. The Lady Falcons took the first set 25-22 thanks in large part to an 11-2 scoring run to end the set after trailing 20-14.

The Lady Falcons came right back and took another hard fought second set 25-23, but Gunter wasn’t going down easily. After being tied up at 12, Gunter stormed out to a 20-16 lead and ultimately took the third set 25-20.

In the fourth set, it was the Lady Falcons jumping out to an early lead before Gunter pushed back into it. The Lady Tigers led 19-13, but Bushland would not be denied. The Lady Falcons outscored Gunter 12-3 from that point forward to claim the title.

Bushland’s Kenzie Sims shined in the victory, impacting the game in every way imaginable including coming away with the final kill to clinch the title. The star junior finished with 10 kills, 30 assists, 15 digs, 4 aces, and 2 blocks in route to winning tournament MVP.

Abby Howell finished the match with a team-high 14 kills while Lilyann Shannon was right behind her with 12.

This is the third state title for Bushland in the last four years.