Frenship has never won a volleyball match against Dumas, which stands between the Tigers and their hopes of reaching the second round of the Class 4A playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

But the Tigers (19-15) don’t see the tradition-rich Demonettes (24-15), who beat them in four sets earlier this season, as an obstacle. Instead, they view today’s bi-disrict match as an opportunity.

That was the message junior outside hitter Maddie Johnson delivered before practice on Monday, and it resonated with the rest of the Tigers. Head coach Jennifer McCully described her players as “way motivated” for the 6 p.m. match at Canyon High School, and said the Tigers even volunteered to watch game film of themselves Monday night in an attempt to be as prepared as possible.

“I think it makes a stronger impression when your teammate’s saying it instead of a coach saying it, and the team looks up to (Johnson), so I think that makes an even bigger impression,” McCully said. “I feel good coming into (today) knowing the girls are self-initiating some of this stuff.”

The Tigers will need more than a good mental approach to beat Dumas, ranked 16th in Class 4A in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association poll. They’ll also need a retooled lineup to finally jell.

Sophomore Marisa Rodriguez, who McCully called her “most consistent hitter,” suffered a season-ending injury in a loss at Plainview on Oct. 20. That prompted McCully to move Kacey Deterding from middle blocker to the outside, and Carsey Aycock is now pulling double-duty as a setter and middle blocker.

Frenship has lost three of its four matches with the new lineup, but McCully said the team has become increasingly comfortable with it. She also said playing solid defense might have more of an influence on today’s outcome.

“I feel like we have better hitters,” she said. “We just have to make sure we play defense with what Dumas brings, so we can run our offense.”

• Class 4A, Plainview (27-15) vs. No. 10 Hereford (34-6), 7:30 p.m., Canyon HS: Plainview has already had a banner season – twice beating rival Frenship and setting program records for overall and district wins – and now the Lady Bulldogs hope to notch their first postseason victory.

“We have a good feeling about this,” said first-year Plainview coach Torri Hatch, whose team lost in the first round each of the last three years. “We think this is the year.”

It won’t be easy, though. Tenth-ranked Hereford is the defending state champion, and the Lady Whitefaces swept Plainview earlier this season.

Hatch said her team knows what to expect this time around, and that the Lady Bulldogs are better and more confident than they were at the beginning of December.

“Hereford is always a good, solid team, but any team is beatable,” she said. “If we can just get the blocks up, move fast and not beat ourselves, we’ll be able to contend with them, I think.”

• Class 3A, Cooper (22-13) vs. Graham (20-11), 6 p.m., Sweetwater HS: Cooper has won at least one playoff match in each of the last three years, and it reached the third round in 2006 and ‘07.

Coach Courtney Pesterfield and her Lady Pirates hope for an even better postseason run this year.

“We keep telling our kids if they win three more games we’re in the regional tournament, which is something Cooper hasn’t done,” said Pesterfield, whose team closed the regular season with three consecutive wins. “That’s our goal.”

The Lady Pirates aren’t looking past No. 15 Graham, even though they swept the Lady Blues at their host tournament earlier this season. Pesterfield said Graham has since shuffled its lineup and is playing much better, and she knows the Lady Blues will be out for revenge.

But Pesterfield said her team also has improved since that first meeting in August.

“I don’t want to say we’re hitting a peak yet, but we’re definitely making good strides,” she said. “Everybody seems to be playing to their potential, if not over and above their potential. We’re working really well together right now, and the team chemistry is coming along.”

• Class 3A, Seminole (23-17) vs. Pecos (19-12), 7 p.m., Midland Christian HS: If Seminole beats a team it handled fairly easily about a month ago, it will reach the second round for the second year in a row.

But longtime head coach Jacqueline Horton isn’t putting much stock into the Maidens’ 25-6, 25-7, 14-25, 25-7 win on Pecos’ home court, because she knows “anything can happen in the playoffs.”

“We’re not banking on that game. That’s in the past,” said Horton, whose Maidens tied for second place in District 3-3A. “We have to focus on right now and just play.”

• Class 2A, Shallowater (19-17) vs. Kermit (16-19), 5:30 p.m., Seminole HS: Shallowater’s last playoff victory came in 2006, when the Fillies beat Kermit in the first round and eventually advanced to the regional quarterfinals.

Another bi-district match against Kermit could be a good omen for the Fillies, who are “playing well at the right time,” according to head coach Amy Mangum.

“I think we have more confidence this year in our ability to get to the next round,” Mangum said. “We feel like we’re more prepared this year than we have been in the past at this time of the season.”

Shallowater runs a quick offense led by setter Taylor Wilson and middle blocker Brittney Scaff, and libero Kenzi Callaway leads a defense Mangum described as scrappy.

“I feel like if we pass the ball and are able to run our offense effectively,” Mangum said, “we’ll be successful.”

• Class 1A, Olton (13-15) vs. Knox City (17-13), 8 p.m., Vernon HS: On one hand, Olton is thrilled to be in the playoffs for the first time in its three-year history as a program. On the other hand, the Fillies aren’t quite content.

“I think it’s a combination of both things,” first-year coach Diane Ivy said. “We’re just kind of happy to be here, but then we played Knox City at the Childress tournament and beat them. So I think they have some confidence coming into this match that they can win.”

Ivy said the Fillies’ ability to receive serves will be a key factor. She’s plenty confident in an attack led by Jamie Chitty and Brennan Ivy, who double as setters and outside hitters, along with Kailey Jones and Kristen White.

“We’re starting to play better as a team,” Diane Ivy said, “and starting to figure out we can win at this sport.”

To comment on this story:

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HIGH SCHOOLS/Tigers

take good mental approach

into bi-district match

UIL VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

Region I

CLASS 5A

Bi-district

El Paso Franklin (R1, 31-6) vs. Midland Lee (T2, 26-15), 4 p.m. today, Lovington (N.M.) HS

Arlington Lamar (W4, 29-9) at North Richland Hills Richland (F3, 20-18), 7 p.m. today

Weatherford (R3, 19-18) vs. Mansfield Summit (T4, 23-11), 7 p.m. today, Haltom HS

El Paso Hanks (F1, 27-9) vs. Amarillo (W2, 41-3), 6:30 p.m. today, Andrews HS

Colleyville Heritage (R5, 33-10) vs. Coppell (T6, 32-10), 7 p.m. today, Grapevine HS

Cedar Hill (F7, 15-19) vs. Allen (W8, 37-6), 7 p.m. today, Coppell HS

Irving MacArthur (R7, 30-10) vs. Plano West (T8, 24-14-1), 7 p.m. today, Carrollton Creekview HS

Grapevine (F5, 27-13) vs. Lewisville Hebron (W6, 33-10), time TBA, today, Carrollton Smith HS

El Paso Eastwood (T1, 22-7) vs. Tascosa (R2, 23-9), 5 p.m. today, Andrews HS

North Crowley (W3, 34-5) vs. Arlington Martin (F4, 14-24), 7 p.m. today, Mansfield Legacy HS

Arlington (R4, 24-21) at Abilene (T3, 16-21), 6:30 p.m. today

El Paso Coronado (W1, 32-9) vs. Midland (F2, 26-13), 6 p.m. today, Lovington (N.M.) HS

Justin Northwest (T5, 27-13) vs. Flower Mound Marcus (R6, 26-16), 7 p.m. today, Flower Mound HS

Duncanville (W7, 19-17) vs. Plano (F8, 17-21), 6:30 p.m. today, Carrollton Turner HS

South Grand Prairie (T7, 12-13) vs. McKinney Boyd (R8, 26-15), 7 p.m. today, Carrollton Ranchview HS

Keller Central (W5, 32-8) vs. Southlake Carroll (F6, 31-11), 7 p.m. today, Keller Timber Creek HS

—

CLASS 4A

Bi-district

El Paso Del Valle (T2, 17-13) at El Paso (R1, 24-13), 7 p.m. CDT today

Canyon (F3, 23-10) vs. Abilene Cooper (W4, 23-13), 6:30 p.m. today, Levelland HS

Hereford (R3, 34-6) vs. Plainview (T4, 27-15), 7:30 p.m. today, Canyon HS

El Paso Jefferson (F1, 24-12) at El Paso Riverside (W2, 25-8), (n)

Denton Guyer (R5, 23-9) vs. Fort Worth Boswell (T6, 25-16), 6 p.m. today, Byron Nelson HS

Mansfield Legacy def. Fort Worth North Side, 25-9, 25-10, 25-6

Fort Worth Arlington Heights (R7, 22-9) vs. Stephenville (T8, 24-15), 7:30 p.m. today, Burleson HS

Denton (F5) vs. North Richland Hills Birdville (W6, 29-9), 6:30 p.m. today, Fort Worth Boswell HS

El Paso Chapin (T1, 26-15) at Canutillo (R2, 26-8), 7 p.m. CDT today

Randall (W3, 35-1) vs. Big Spring (F4, 11-24), 7:30 p.m. today, Monterey HS

Dumas (T3, 24-15) vs. Frenship (R4, 19-15), 6 p.m. today, Canyon HS

San Elizario (F2, 20-17) at El Paso Burges (W1, 21-20), 7 p.m. CDT today

The Colony (T5, 25-13) vs. Aledo (R6, 23-15), 7 p.m. today, Southlake Carroll HS

Fort Worth Dunbar (W7, 24-13) vs. Granbury (F8, 24-20), 7 p.m. today, White Settlement Brewer HS

Fort Worth Wyatt (T7, 17-17) vs. Arlington Seguin (R8, 36-6), 7 p.m. today, Kennedale HS

Denton Ryan (W5, 33-5) vs. Azle (F6, 25-14), 6:30 p.m. today, Decatur HS

—

CLASS 3A

Bi-district

Cooper (R1, 22-13) vs. Graham (T2, 20-11), 6 p.m. today, Sweetwater HS

Clint (W4, 28-4), bye

Andrews (R3, 19-19) vs. Tornillo (T4, 19-13), 8 p.m. today, Pecos HS

Abilene Wylie (W2, 32-4), bye

Iowa Park (R5, 17-11), bye

Liberty Hill (W8), bye

West (R7, 25-13) vs. Llano (T8), 7:30 p.m. today, Hamilton HS

Borger (T1, 24-15) vs. Brownwood (R2, 19-16), 6 p.m. today, Vernon HS

Monahans (W3, 35-5), bye

Seminole (T3, 23-17) vs. Pecos (R4, 19-12), 7 p.m. today, Midland Christian HS

Dalhart (W1, 29-11), bye

Vernon (T5), bye

Gatesville (W7), bye

Whitney (T7) vs. Burnet (R8), 6 p.m. today, Hamilton HS

Decatur (W5), bye

—

CLASS 2A

Bi-district

Highland Park (R1, 15-19) vs. Friona (T2), 7 p.m. today, West Texas A&M Fieldhouse, Canyon

Alpine (W4, 31-7), bye

Shallowater (R3, 19-16) vs. Kermit (T4, 16-19), 5:30 p.m. today, Seminole HS

Tulia (W2), bye

Henrietta (R5, 24-8) vs. Brock (T6), 6:30 p.m. today, Perrin-Whitt HS

San Angelo Grape Creek (W8, 22-16), bye

Eastland (T8), bye

Peaster (W6, 32-4), bye

River Road (T1, 4-29) vs. Dimmitt (R2, 12-10), 7 p.m. today, Randall HS

Denver City (W3, 29-5), bye

Littlefield (T3) vs. Crane (R4, 13-25), 7:30 p.m. today, Seminole HS

Bushland (W1, 27-11), bye

Bowie (T5, 19-20) vs. Paradise (R6, 27-12), 6 p.m. today, Jacksboro HS

Colorado (R8, 23-14), bye

Nocona (W5, 32-3), bye

—

CLASS 1A

Bi-district

Van (R1, 26-12) vs. Fort Davis (T2), 6:30 p.m. today, Sul Ross State, Alpine

Bronte (W4), bye

Imperial Buena Vista (R3, 18-12) vs. Sterling City (T4), 5 p.m. today, UT-Permian Basin, Odessa

Marfa (W2), bye

Fort Elliott (R5) vs. Rotan (T6), 6 p.m. today, Paducah HS

Bryson (W8), bye

Archer City (R7, 23-12) vs. Graford (T8), 7 p.m. today, Breckenridge HS

Benjamin (W6), bye

Dell City (T1) vs. Balmorhea (R2, 18-11), 6:30 p.m. today, Pecos HS

Wink (W3, 30-11), bye

Plains (T3, 9-15) vs. Water Valley (R4), 7 p.m. today, UT-Permian Basin, Odessa

Fort Hancock (W1), bye

Olton (T5, 13-15) vs. Knox City (R6, 17-13), 8 p.m. today, Vernon HS

Windthorst (W7, 24-12), bye

Petrolia (T7, 14-17) vs. Newcastle (R8), 7:30 p.m. today, Jacksboro HS

Paducah (W5), bye