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Tuesday Night Lights: Liberty Christian hosts first-ever Texas outdoor volleyball game

Liberty Christian and Grapevine played Tuesday night on a court assembled on the field at Warrior Stadium

Ever since Nebraska set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event, when 92,003 fans packed into Memorial Stadium to watch a volleyball match between the Huskers and Omaha in 2023, Argyle Liberty Christian coach Megan DeGroot has been thinking about what it would be like to have the same kind of event at Warrior Stadium.

That vision became a reality Tuesday night when Argyle Liberty Christian hosted Grapevine in the first ever outdoor volleyball game in Texas. Fans watched the teams compete under the lights on a volleyball court built on the field where Liberty Christian’s state-championship football team plays. There weren’t 90,000 fans in attendance, but the two teams made some history and created memories that will last well beyond high school.

“Especially for my seniors, there’s no guarantee that they’ll ever be able to have this opportunity again,” DeGroot said. “I’d love for it to happen every year here, but for us to be the first two schools to do it was really special.”

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Making this game happen logistically was a case of perfect timing. DeGroot said the court the teams played on Tuesday was the same one used at the last three NCAA championship matches, and it is available because it is being decommissioned this year. A parent of a player on Liberty Christian is connected with a company that had the court available and agreed to assemble it on the football field.

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“We were able to get it on an 18-wheeler the next day, which is wild because we were told normally, this takes about two and a half months to logistically plan this,” DeGroot said. “It just all kind of fell into place perfectly.”

Grapevine was able to overcome the windy conditions in Argyle on Tuesday night to win the game 3-1, making it two straight victories to close out their regular season. Mustangs coach Robyn Wallace relished seeing her team become a part of history, and her players were thrilled to be competing on a big stage.

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“They had a lot of gratitude,” Wallace said. “Before the game, every one of them talked about how grateful they were to have the opportunity to play outside, regardless of the outcome. It was just a really cool experience for them.”

“I think six teams in the entire country have played an outdoor match now. To be one of those six teams is just crazy,” Wallace added. “I’m just really appreciative of Liberty Christian and Coach DeGroot for making it happen. My kids were laughing after the game about how they now understand the appeal of a Friday Night Lights football game.”

When Nebraska held its outdoor game last year, it saw tremendous support from a city and a state that has long been one of the most enthusiastic about volleyball. That kind of following for the sport is slowly building in the DFW metroplex. TCU and SMU received national rankings for the first time in program history this year. Byron Nelson and Prestonwood Christian are currently top five high school teams in the country. Wallace believes this outdoor game will only help accelerate the growth of the sport in the area.

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“With there being some tremendous programs right now, there’s a lot of momentum for the game across the metroplex,” Wallace said. “To be able to bring even more of a spotlight to volleyball with an event like this is just amazing.”

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