Fort Worth ISD

Fort Worth High School Volleyball Team With No Gym Makes Playoffs

FWISD's Young Women's Leadership Academy competes in the post-season for the first time in any sport

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A Fort Worth high school volleyball team that doesn’t even have its own gymnasium made history Tuesday night by being the first at its school to make the playoffs in any sport.

The team from the Young Women’s Leadership Academy took on Springtown High School at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center.

"Exciting times since it is our very first playoff game,” senior Zaria Ross said.

YWLA, part of the Fort Worth Independent School District, started in 2010 in what was a warehouse downtown.

All of the nearly 500 students graduate and all are accepted into college.

But now, it's not the academics -- but the athletics -- getting all the attention.

"They've surpassed everyone's hopes and dreams for the team and we're just so proud of them,” principal Tamara Albury said.

They did it despite the challenge of not having their own gymnasium. The team has to practice and play at other nearby schools.

"Our girls overcome so many different trials and tribulations every day just to get to practice, to get to school on time,” athletic coordinator Nina Lewis said.

Coach Jamie Calahan isn't surprised this team made it so far.

"I did believe the girls would get to this point,” Calahan said. “It was a work in progress but I did believe it would happen."

In the end, Springtown won the match three sets to none to advance in the playoffs in the Class 4A bi-district UIL Texas competition.

But the Fort Worth team went home knowing they made history -- and made their school proud.

"They're already winners in our book,” Lewis said.

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