Large group of Randall cheerleaders posing in a gymnasium, front row kneeling with black-and-white uniforms and silver/black pom-poms, group holding a trophy at center. — The Randall Lady Raiders beat rival Canyon to win the UIL Region I-4A Division II championship Tuesday night at a packed Amarillo High Activity Center. [Roy Wheeler/ Press Pass Sports]

Tuesday night at the Amarillo High Activity Center saw a bitterly partisan and raucus contest between two longtime traditional rivals which divided people just as much as what happened across Texas the previous Tuesday.

This time, though, it wasn’t between red and blue on Election Day, it was between black and purple, and it wasn’t the general public deciding a winner, it was the Randall Lady Raiders and Canyon Lady Eagles in the Class 4A Division II volleyball region finals. It was also a lot more fun and competitive.

In the ultimate neutral site contest in which both Canyon ISD schools filled both sides of the stands at the Amarillo ISD facility, fans were actually turned away 15 minutes before the match. They missed out on a good one, as Randall pulled out a tough four-set win, 21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 26-24 to advance to the state semifinals.

There, the Lady Raiders (39-6) will face Sunnyvale (37-7) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Fort Worth’s Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, with the winner advancing to the state championship match in Garland next Friday.

Girls' volleyball team in black uniforms hoist a trophy on a gym floor as a cheering crowd celebrates behind them. — The Randall Lady Raiders celebrate with a packed crowd after winning the Region I-4A Division II title Tuesday. [Roy Wheeler/ Press Pass Sports]

Whatever happens next, Randall should be well prepared. The Lady Raiders faced a loud crowd pullng both for and against them in a match which may have been even closer than the results indicate.

“Seeing how many people showed up for this was unreal,” Randall coach Karli Morrison said. “To me it shows how strong our district is. That’s what we talked about today at lunch was the intensity of our district and how much better (the Lady Eagles) have gotten and how much better we have gotten. We’ve pushed each other which is so fun to see.”

Randall and Canyon (34-8) split their two regular season matches in District 4-4A, so it seemed natural they were on a collision course in the postseason. For the most part, they played like two teams highly familiar with each other.

It was Canyon, though, who got the upper hand, as Randall never even led in the first set. The Lady Raiders tied it at 3-3, 12-12 and 16-16 but never got over the hump.

Canyon took control after that last tie, scoring seven straight points for a comfortable 23-16 lead. Sophomore Klair Stone was the biggest factor in that surge, scoring back-to-back points off a block and a kill, and after Randall pulled to within three, Stone ended the set with a kill.

“We were passing really well on serve-receive,” Canyon coach Sara Morath said. “We were setting good block to play defense around that and that was a big part of our success for that first set.”

Morrison, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as pleased with her team’s early effort and let the Lady Raiders know it.

“I thought we served way better toward the end,” Morrison said. “We missed some serves but it wasn’t killing us. Our middle (blockers) carried our offense tonight. It’s been all season about being all in and everybody knowing what their roles are and making sure they’re important.”

Female volleyball player in a black jersey (#7) reaches up at the net, about to spike the ball, with a cheering crowd in the gym behind her. — Randall’s Amber Matthews had a team-high 15 kills against Canyon. [Roy Wheeler/ Press Pass Sports]

After not leading at all in the first set, the Lady Raiders wasted no time in getting up in the second set, taking a 3-0 lead. Canyon took an 8-7 lead but that was the only time the Lady Eagles led in the set.

Amber Matthews scored a kill which tied the set for Randall, then the Lady Raiders got five straight points off the serve of Kambree Gonzalez with Laci Clay and Camryn Massengale scoring two kills each to make the lead 13-8.

Canyon never got closer than two points the rest of the set, as the Lady Raiders closed it out by five of the last six points to tie the match.

In the third set, Randall never trailed, as the closest Canyon got was pulling within a point. It was still tense throughout, though, as Randall clung to a 24-23 lead with Canyon serving, before Matthews clinched the set for Randall with a kill.

That was indicative of what Matthews did in terms of making kills when it counted, as she led Randall with 15 kills.

“I’ve been used to it coming down ti my training and not letting the environment get to me,” Matthews said. “I can trust my teammates and get that sideout. I was pretty ready for it and knew it was going to be a hostile environment. Volleyball’s fun when you have energy. Momentum is big, especially when you’re down two or three points.”

It was no surprise that the fourth set was just as intense as the previous three. Randall jumped out to an 8-4 lead, but Canyon scored seven of the next eight points to go up 11-9.

The roller coaster kept going. Randall tied it 14-14 on Madelyn Sisomsouk’s service ace and after she was finished serving the lady Raiders were up 16-15.

Female volleyball player in a black Randall jersey (number 9) reaches up to hit the ball during a match in a gym. — Randall’s Chloe Brown serves the ball against Canyon on Tuesday. [Roy Wheeler/ Press Pass Sports]

Matthews scored a kill to get the serve back for Daphne Claypool, which helped boost Randall’s lead to 19-15. Canyon, though, rallied to tie it at 22 thanks in part to two kills by Laney Jones.

The Lady Eagles took a 24-23 lead after another Jones kill and had it at set point, but Stone’s kill attempt barely missed deep in Randall’s court and tied the set.

Sisomsouk again served for Randall, which got the final two points on a Canyon attack error and an illegal hit to end the match.

Randall’s Chloe Brown had a double for Randall with 13 kills and 13 digs, and teammate Lexy Lujan dished out 23 assists in the victory putting her over 1,000 for her career.