The Tioga Lady Bulldogs volleyball team are in the midst of the program’s most impressive playoff run since their state championship finish in 2016, earning back-to-back wins in the bi-district and area rounds.
The Lady Bulldogs defeated Alvord 3-0 for the program’s first bi-district championship since 2021 on Oct. 30 and survived a tense 3-2 battle against Wolfe City to take the crown in the area round Tuesday night.
“We have a great group of girls who have bought into what we’re doing, and coming into the year the expectation was, ‘They were a 15-win team, and they were the fourth seed in the playoffs; how can we improve on that?’” Tioga head volleyball coach Trevin Robinson said. “… Last night we were able to get past the first round for the first time since 2021, and we also broke the school record for wins this season across all sports with 30, which was previously 29, set by the 2016 team that won state. We still have a long way to go to get to where they were, but our goal is to keep chasing them and hopefully make that run at State.”
Tioga opened its playoff run facing off with Alvord at Valley View High School on Oct. 30, where it won the first set in convincing fashion, 2516.
Things were closer in the second set, with Tioga taking the period 25-23.
Tioga closed the match, winning the third set 25-0.
“That game showed how much we trust each other and how well we work together as a team,” junior setter Ella Norwood said. “Last night highlighted that whenever we were in some rough times, and we really needed to come up with some points, each of us knew our job, and we trusted each other to do it, and that’s a big thing on the court.
Tioga faced stiffer competition in the area round Tuesday night, where the battle with Wolfe City went to the fifth and final set before the winner was decided.
Wolfe City won the first period 25-22, but Tioga recovered and dug out the second set, winning 25-23 to tie the set record 1-1.
The Lady Wolves answered by taking the third set 25-22, and with their season on the line, the Lady Bulldogs tied the set record again, winning the fourth set 25-15 to send the match into the extra period.
Tioga rode the momentum of their 10-point win in the fourth set to win the final period 15-8 and secure the area championship.
“Anytime you win in the playoffs it’s a good thing,” Robinson said. “The score was closer than we would have liked, but we now have the advantage of knowing that feeling of how close we were to being done. Now, we have to build off that, and hopefully we can continue to stay composed when we have our backs against the wall, but I’m proud of how they fought all night and stayed together when it mattered the most.”
Outside hitter Kyndall Whitley also credited the Lady Bulldogs’ success to the team’s improved chemistry under first-year head coach Robinson.
“We have a new coach, and we have a better connection as a team,” she said. “Our attitudes toward each other are better, and there’s more trust, and that’s been a big thing this season, because we’re always ready to pick each other back up even if we make mistakes.”
Tioga was scheduled to meet the Rio Vista Eagles in the regional semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday hosted at Colleyville Heritage High School.
The results were not available by press time.
