Volleyball: Oak Ridge lays foundation for solid future

Oak Ridge junior Raigen Cianciulli makes a play against Fort Bend Austin during their Class 6A semifinal matchup at the 2015 UIL Volleyball State Championships at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland last week.

For a team that fell after coming so close to a state championship, Oak Ridge is pretty happy with life overall.

Oak Ridge volleyball coach Tommie Lynn Sledge during the Atascocita at Oak Ridge volleyball game.Photograph by David Hopper — Oak Ridge volleyball coach Tommie Lynn Sledge during the Atascocita at Oak Ridge volleyball game.

The War Eagles volleyball team fell in three sets to Fort Bend Austin in the Class 6A semifinals Friday in Garland. But they accomplished more than most people expected with only two seniors on the roster.

The Eagles went 2-3 against The Woodlands, which they beat in the regional finals to advance to state for the first time in 16 years, and won 35 matches, including five in the Region II playoffs. click here for complete story