The Collinsville Lady Pirates earned their third bi-district trophy in a row after defeating the Graford Lady Rabbits 3-2.
The Lady Rabbits hit the hardwood running, taking a 3-1 lead in the first set before the Lady Pirates battled back to tie the score 4-4.
Graford would lead by as many as 6 points before Collinsville could tie it again at 19 each.
From there, Graford went on a run, winning the first set 25-20.
The two teams traded points to open the second set, with the teams tied 4-4, and continued with the teams finding themselves tied at 19 midway through the period until Graford pulled out a 2624 victory to give them a 2-0 lead in sets.
The Lady Pirates found their sea legs in the second set, never trailing in the period and winning it 25-20. Huge blocks and hard kills by Collinsville’s Jaydee Matlock and Kendall Brandewie highlighted this set.
Collinsville continued to control the match in the fourth set behind the point-earning serving of Reece Elvington, powering the Lady Pirates to take the set 25-20.
Collinsville fell behind early in the fifth set but fought back to tie the score at 6.
From there, it was a back-and-forth affair until the Lady Pirates eked out a slim 11-9 lead, which was short-lived as the Lady Rabbits quickly tied things up at 13.
With each squad only needing 2 points for victory, the battle raged on until the Lady Pirates scored the final 2 points to give them a 17-15 victory and a bi-district championship.
The Lady Pirates followed their bi-district win by battling the North Hopkins Lady Panthers in the area round of the playoffs on Tuesday night, where they lost 3-0, ending their season.
“The Pirates volleyball team and coaches would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents and players for an outstanding season filled with hard work, dedication, and true team spirit,” Collinsville head volleyball coach Savannah Fields said. “… The growth, grit, and sportsmanship displayed this year make us incredibly proud of what this team has achieved.”
Assistant editor Martin Edwards contributed to this report.
