2006 Lady Bulldogs Awards Banquet

The undefeated Junior Varsity team will be turning some heads for a long time!

Another great 'bumper crop' for the Lady Bulldogs

in the future with this great group of 9th graders.

It was another wonderful evening of honoring the achievements of the Magnolia Lady Bulldogs Volleyball program at the 2006 Awards Banquet. The 9th Grade, Junior Varsity and Varsity Magnolia High School teams were represented, honored, and awarded achievements for their outstanding seasons while all the players, coaches, parents and fans enjoyed the catered meal, the presentations, awards ceremony, conversations, and of course, ... the team movie! It was another outstanding job by all (this time, it was "off-court"!)and a huge thanks are due to the Magnolia Athletic Booster Club, the many contributors from Magnolia High School, the local businesses, and the community, the players, coaches, parents and fans, and in particular...... Mr. Rusty 'Kibbles' Williams for all of their hard work and support for the Lady Bulldogs all year long and for this event.

This season will be remembered for a long time as the Year of the DAWG as the Lady Bulldogs Junior Varsity and Varsity teams both went undefeated in District play and established their volleyball programs as being one of the best all around athletic programs at all levels in the great state of Texas! The ladies broke new ground this year and finished 6th in the state!! You gotta love it....and there's still some room for improvement!! Here's the start of more awards to come for these ladies:

Anna Barren
Academic All District 15-5A
TGCA Academic All State Team
15-5A All District Honorable Mention
2006 Team Rookie of the Year

Kristyn Bergen
Academic All District 15-5A
All District 15-5A 1st Team
2006 Team Co-Defensive Player of the Year

Hannah Davies
15-5A All District Honorable Mention

Hannah Fort
Academic All District 15-5A
All District 15-5A Blocker of the Year
All District 15-5A 1st Team
2006 Team Offensive Player of the Year

Mandi Gray
Academic All District 15-5A
TGCA Academic All State Team

Caitlin Holland
Academic All District 15-5A
TGCA Academic All State Team
All District 15-5A Setter of the Year &
All District 15-5A 1st Team
2006 Team Fighting Heart Award

Ashley Howe
Academic All District 15-5A

Ashley Meeks
Academic All District 15-5A
TGCA Academic All State Team

Kelli Stewart
Academic All District 15-5A
All District 15-5A 1st Team

Alicia Shaffer
Academic All District 15-5A
All District 15-5A Defensive Player of the Year
All District 15-5A 1st Team
2006 Team Co-Defensive Player of the Year

Michele Williams
TGCA All State Team
Academic All District 15-5A
District 15-5A MVP
All District 15-5A 1st Team
Pearland "Velocity Sports Performance" All Tournament TeamDuncanville "Tournament of Champions" All Tournament TeamUSA Volleyball Junior National Team Selection
2006 Team MVP

Coach Terri Johnson

District 15-5A Coach of the Year

The 2006 All Montgomery County Awards will be released soon and will be updated.

The 2006 Lady Bulldogs have a new banner to hang!!

GREAT YEAR LADY BULLDOGS!! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!

2006-2007 TGCA All State Awards released:

A huge Congratulations is due to the following Magnolia Lady Bulldogs who have been selected by the TGCA (Texas Girls Coaches Association) 2006-2007 All-State committee:

Conference 5A

Michele Williams

Academic selections:

Anna Barren

Mandi Gray

Caitlin Holland

Ashley Meeks

CONGRATULATIONS LADY BULLDOGS!!! BULLDOG PRIDE!!!

Lady Bulldogs Volleyball Banquet

We will be celebrating our great Lady Bulldogs' volleyball season at the Volleyball Banquet on Monday, November 27, at the Magnolia Community Development Center, 31355 Industrial Lane, at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and are availble from the coaches office.

Thank you, to all of you Bulldog fans and for your great support for all of the teams this year. From the successes of the A and B freshmen, to the undefeated district championship JV team, to the Varsity Regional Semi-final berth...It was a fun, exciting ride!



Please get your tickets for the banquet early so we can get a head count. Thank you!

GREAT JOB LADY BULLDOGS!!! BULLDOG PRIDE!!!

Lady Wolves Overrun Lady Bulldogs

News flash!!…..The best match of this year’s Texas state playoff schedule was actually played Friday night between two of the stronger Regional Semifinalists still left standing, as the Magnolia Lady Bulldogs (33-7) and the Plano West Lady Wolves butted heads in Johnson Coliseum – right in the heart of the Sam Houston State University campus. The setting was as electrifying and exciting as could be expected with all of the pageantry of a couple of top 5A Texas high school volleyball programs could give you: loud music, old and young fans, multicolored T-shirts, 'spirit signs', cheerleaders, equipment managers, cheerers and chanters, exciting calls, disputing calls, returning alumni, and people who were just there to watch relatives or friends play this crazy game, etc – you name it... it was probably there!

In the end, it was the hungry Lady Wolves who outgunned the Lady Bulldogs and played great defense at the right times to close them out 3-1. The Lady Bulldogs dropped the first set 19-25, won the second 25-21, then let set #3 get away from them 21-25, and finally fell under Plano West’s wheels at 18-25. Michele Williams led the DAWGS’ hitters with 16 kills, 2 block assists and 5 serving aces; followed by Hannah Fort’s 11 kills, 2 aces, with 1 solo block and 3 assists. Junior Alicia Shaffer added 8 kills, 3 block assists, 8 digs and 3 aces of her own; and was followed by OH Kristyn Bergen’s 6 kills, 2 block assists and 22 digs; and senior DS Anna Barren’s 12 digs. Senior Caitlin Holland and Hannah Davies split their assists evenly at 19 each.

In set #1, the Lady Bulldogs did not seem able to get on track as their only lead of the match was at 1-0, which was right before Plano West went on a 10 to 3 run extending their widest margin at 6 points. The DAWGS made a great effort in pulling alongside the Wolves with a little romp of their own, scoring 5 to Plano’s 1 at 9-11, then by remaining close to Plano by at least 2 points for the majority of the rest of the game, up until 18-19, that is…when the DAWGS uncharacteristically, stalled and managed only 1 more point to the Lady Wolves 6 at crunch time. The natives got a little restless, not really knowing what to expect against the favored Lady Wolves, but the general feeling on both sides of the net was: “…. the DAWGS could hang with this team !!”

Lady Bulldog Hannah Fort rejected this Lady Wolves attack singlehandedly.

Set #2 erupted with a 3-0 burst at the starting gate by Plano West. The DAWGS battled back behind the strength of the Lady Bulldogs middle rotation, namely: Michele Williams and MB Hannah Fort. Both of the juniors repeatedly hammered Plano West through 10 ties in this game with combinations of kills and ace serves. Both middles actually earned all of Magnolia’s earned points in this set, except for a Hannah Davies’ ace serve. Once this game was tied at 3-3, neither team would lead by more than 2 points, until late in the game when Michele Williams went on a “service scoring spree” and broke free from a 20-20 tie, running off 4 points to have a death grip at the Wolves’ throat at 24-20. After giving up the next point, Plano served to the DAWGS who 1-2-3’d (pass, set, killed) to Hannah Fort who jammed ‘em with her Glide shot down the right line 25-21, winning this one impressively, and tying the match up 1-1. The general feeling on both sides of the net now, was: “……. the DAWGS can beat this team !!“

MB Michele Boom Boom Williams went after Plano West for 16 kills.

With renewed life, the DAWGS took off running in the 3rd set and led most of the way until they “hit the wall”. Again Michele Williams and Hannah Fort led the attack, but this time they got more help from their teammates with OHR Ashlynn Newman getting a kill at 2-1; a couple of kills by Alicia Shaffer (at 6-6, and 8-7). Magnolia maintained a 4 point spread in the middle of the game and began to look like they were showing everyone and anyone who ever had questioned themselves about how good this team really is, ….“that they are for real”. However, Plano was far from finished, trailing 19-14 and again, challenged the DAWGS in the waning part of the game. Somehow, the Lady Wolves recaptured the momentum and blew by the DAWGS scoring 7 straight, to lead at 21-19. The DAWGS could not re-coup from this surge, and traded a couple of points to finish on the under-side of a 25-21 loss. The worm had turned…

The ball was going NOWHERE once Lady Bulldogs teammates

Michele Williams and Kristyn Bergen joined forces...

Set #4 started out with the DAWGS jumping on top with a 5-1 lead and a stronger sense of urgency, but Plano West doused out the flame with cold water and 8 straight points and would not let the DAWGS close enough to even ‘sniff’ at the lead until a brief reprieve at 14-13 when Alicia Shaffer burned them on an ace serve. The teams traded points and the lead briefly, but the Lady Wolves out-hit the DAWGS in this all-important stretch by a 12-4 margin and ended the Lady Bulldog’s hopes of bringing home this year’s State Championship trophy…

Coach J giving the Lady Bulldogs last minute adjustments.

The Lady Bulldogs should look back on this season’s accomplishments with great pride and honor. From their summer camp, to the Duncanville and Pearland tournaments’ successes; to avenging and whupping all their former district rivals (Cy Creek, Langham Creek, Cy Fair); to streaking through an undefeated district championship; and sweeping the former team they lost to in the ’05 playoffs (Memorial Lady Mustangs); to post season honors like: Bi-district and Area Champs, and Regional Quarterfinalists, and finally, on to one of four teams fighting it out for the Regional Semifinals!! The DAWGS were basically 1½ winning sets away from having a great shot at the Regional Championship and being in the “big Dance” in San Marcos. To drill down on this farther, when you look at this season under a microscope - you'll probably find that it came down to just a couple of points that ending up separating them from the ultimate prize..

The ladies' volleyball program at Magnolia has been growing and getting better each season and the DAWGS have been making up new ground with each step forward (you’ll notice, I didn’t say new “territory” – when talking about DAWGS!!). The steps have not been easy as the Bulldogs have had to re-establish themselves through unexpected and rapid re-districting changes; the move a little while back into the 5A division, and playing from the start in arguably the toughest and most competitive volleyball districts in Region 3 i.e. 16-5A and the ever popular district: 17-5A the” “District of Death”. This year was no different. The relatively ‘unknown’ DAWGS were redistricted and now thrown into Region 2 with some of the strongest, most experienced and athletically-talented teams from the North Texas Dallas area, to Houston and over to the Austin areas and have had to respectively, 'muscle' their way in as the newbies….

The Lady Bulldogs have had a great run of 19 straight match victories up to this junction and played ‘good-enough’ volleyball to beat the best teams in the state, and in particular this third ranked team in the state! It didn’t happen for our ladies this evening, as it was just not the DAWGS’ night …. it belonged to Plano West. Some who aren't as familiar with this team, might say the DAWGS accomplished a lot more than they expected, but most Bulldog fans, prognosticators, former and current coaches, media types, volleyball aficionados and “locals in-the-know” would tell you to 'a person', that they’ve known all along, that this group of ladies actually would be going all the way, in 2007 ..... and they've been reminding us about it since the players were in the seventh grade!!!

GREAT JOB LADIES !!! LADY BULLDOG PRIDE !!!

DAWGS Demolish Tomball Lady Cougars

Lady Bulldog MB Michele Williams in the

OHL position and going over both Lady Cougars.

Set #4 and we're sure Tomball will want to forget about this one for a long time!! After playing aggressively and playing each game close to the vest, the crowd just had to expect another "nail-biter" like the last three and the Lady Cougars would come out clawing. But this time it was the Lady Bulldogs who pounced on the Lady Cougars - coming right 'out-of-the-chute', scoring 5 straight as MB Hannah Fort served brilliantly to open the scoring at 5-0, then the Magnolia defense went to work blocking every and any attempt to put the ball over the net by the Coogs. The DAWGS chewed their opponent into pieces in this one while the Coogs fired blanks and eventually had to kneel....

Hannah Fort may have had her finest night as a Lady Bulldog as she repeatedly turned the momentum Magnolia's way with her timely hits. Hannah finished the night with 2 aces, 14 kills, 6 block assists, and a rousing 8 digs - but all were when they seemed to be needed the most. Michele Williams led the hitters with 19 kills, 9 digs with 1 solo block and 3 assist blocks; Alicia Shaffer got on track as the match progressed and added 12 kills, 14 digs, 1 block and 2 block assists; Kristyn Bergen led the backrow with 17 digs, 1 assist block and 2 kills; OHR Kelli Stewart had 3 block assists as did OHR Ashlynn Newman, but Ashlynn also had a solo block. Setter Caitlin Holland kept the DAWGS in the hunt as she spread around 26 assists to her hitters, while playing solid defense with 5 digs. Hannah Davies had 17.

MB Hannah Fort and OHR Kelli Stewart teamed up to jam

OH Jackie Stabell and kept the Lady Cougars in check.

Getting back to this rout, errrr... game, ...MB Michele Williams blocked the ball at 7-1, then OHR Ashlynn Newman and Michele Williams teamed up for an assist block each at 9-2. Williams blistered the Lady Cougars with a blast at 11-2; then the OHR Kelli Stewart / Hannah Fort combo blocked 'em at 14-4 as Magnolia began to pour it on. OH Alicia Shaffer jammed the deflated Coogs with a kill down the left line at 18-4 and a dink mercifully, at 21-4, and well..... you get the idea .... Coach J cleared some of the bench, while the DAWGS coasted to a 25-6 finish .....

WOW!! What a finish: DAWGS 3-1 after a shaky start against a "fired-up" Tomball Lady Cougar team and now heading to the Regional Semifinals to be held in this very Johnson Coliseum on Friday evening, again around 7:00 PM against Plano West - which figures to be the battle of the year for both clubs!!

GO DAWGS!!!

ONE MATCH AT A TIME!!!

DAWG Power Rules in Set 3.......!!!

Lady Bulldogs Michele Williams (L) and Kristyn Bergen (hidden)

collapsed on Cougar Olivia Langston (5) for another blocked point.

Set #3 was a decider.....a make-or-break,.....Deal or No Deal..!!! Neither team started this jewel out playing exceptionally well as both committed costly, unforced errors that had groans coming out of every corner in the Coliseum; but nonetheless, the intensity and the energy level was very high and stayed up there and the crowd became anxious threatening to get even louder! You know,....like a good, old-fashioned, rowdy Central American coup-d'etat....

This game was similar to the others - as it started out tight, with both teams tying the score up 4 times in the first 6 points - but this time, Tomball jumped out to a lead at 7-6, and began pulling away; sometimes swelling to as much as 6 points. MB Michele Williams kept the Lady Bulldogs close in the beginning with an early kill off the Lady Cougars' paws at 1-1, then crushed one of her patented 'Boom Boom' kills inside the 10' line at 2-3; which lead the way for Hannah Fort to throw her Glide kill shot at them at 5-6... but still the DAWGS' couldn't make up any serious ground as their errors kept themselves leashed.

Lady Bulldog Kristyn Bergen watching the

ball, all the way in as she prepares to pass...

Before they knew it, the Lady Cougars were on top at 17-11 with a seemingly, insurmountable advantage when suddenly the PANIC button lit, and the DAWGS decided it was time to start fighting their way back - and immediately proceeded to methodically tying the game up at 17-17. Once again, both teams went to slugging it out, fighting 'tooth and nail', while each point increased the intensity four-fold, until it was almost a screaming match when Tomball committed a devastating error in extra play at 25-26, to drop the game at 25-27, and put the DAWGS in the driver's seat with a 2-1 advantage.

The "Ministers of Defense" (Kelli Stewart and Michele Williams) was the

perfect defensive combo for shutting down senior Lady Cougar Brooke Fuentez.

Neither team let up in this one and it may be viewed as a tough break for the Coogs, but the Lady Bulldogs can look back at this one with pride and remember how they never gave up and fought their way back, and what a difference this game meant to this match and their chances of moving forward in the playoffs! You couldn't have written a better script...

BULLDOG PRIDE!!!

DAWGS Turn the Tables on Tomball

The Tomball Lady Cougars MB Olivia Langston found

it was hard to go through two DAWGS! Kelli Stewart and

Michele Williams both had 3 block assists tonight.

Set #2 didn't start much better for the Lady Bulldogs as they misfired during their attacks and struggled defensively, and the Lady Cougars from Tomball opened to an early lead at 2-1, then held the lead until it max'd out at 4 points when the score reached 12-8. MB Michele Williams fired the first warning shot for the Lady Bulldogs with a booming Happy Birthday kill at 2-3 and another shot moments later off the Coogs' paws at 3-4. The DAWGS were still sluggish in moving ahead and were within 3 points when MB Hannah Fort went to the right with her Glide shot setting up nicely...only to dink the ball over the Coogs' outstretched arms at 6-9 and it looked like the DAWGS were finally aware they were in a playoff game and began making a move....

Just kidding!!....actually the DAWGS went back to sleep, behind a veil of errors as the Lady Cougars marched forward and weaved a 4 point gap at 12-8 while looking like they wanted to jump out front in this match 2-0....

OH Alicia Shaffer got her hands on this hit allowing the

Lady Bulldogs defenders a chance to pass the ball back.

When the DAWGS awoke this time, they came alive in a big way. The Lady Bulldogs knotted the score at 13-13 behind a "head's up" play at 9-12 (actually it was a pass) from OH Kelli Stewart that MB Michele Williams ended up getting a blocked point from; a Williams' dink at 11-13; then a couple of 'slamma-rouskees' from OH Alicia Shaffer at 12-13 and 13-13 and the Lady Bulldogs were back in the game. Both teams engaged in "paw-to-paw combat" for the next 10 cumlative points (18-18) before the DAWGS began pulling away in classic fashion by outscoring the Coogs 7 to 3 at crunch time and thereby deflating Tomball with a 25-21 comeback Bulldog thriller. The game total was tied at 1-1, but the match was now 'afoot'....

Underdog Lady Cougars Jump On Dawgs

The Tomball Lady Cougars (29-11, 10-2) arrived at Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Tuesday night ready to tangle with their mighty rival: the Lady Bulldogs (33-7, 10-0) from Magnolia - in the Regional Quarterfinals, and looked well prepared to do battle. The DAWGS have had a good season battling some of the biggest names in 5A volleyball, but have always had tough competition from their southern cross-town neighbors. It was an unusual and unlikely setting for these two teams who would've probably settled for a venue more like a back alley, than the Sam Houston State University's home turf. The Coogs, who had finished as the runner-up in District 16-5A then slipped by A&M Consolidated in their Bi-District playoff match, were viewed as the underdogs by most of the volleyball community, and were now facing their rivals who are favored - just 50 some odd miles to the north! This one was shaping up like a couple of 'rural-suburban' gangs squaring off from a courtyard scene in West Side Story, only in this one, everyone's dressed in either spandex, or denim...and, oh yeah, iPods !!!

The swift Cougars wasted little time drawing first blood as they caught the Lady Bulldogs uncharacteristically 'flat footed' coming out-of-the-gate and then fought through 13 ties in this first set to earn a well deserved victory.

The Lady Cougars had to comeback in the first set to defeat the Lady

Bulldogs. Here Kelli Stewart and Hannah Fort are rejecting an attack.

The game was tight throughout and Tomball led early in the game by 4 points at 11-7 before the DAWGS opened up their can of 'Whoop-ace', namely one: MB Hannah Fort - who got the DAWGS going in the right direction behind her serving and kills and using teammate Michele Williams' kills to put them on top at 12-11. Magnolia continued to work the score up to a 4 point lead at 24-20 when Tomball clawed their way back with 4 straight points and eventually outlasted the DAWGS to a 27-25 win in set #1.

Certainly, the half of the large crowd dressed in maroon sat stunned while the other half (in red and blue) was energized and all probably thought "this couldn't be happening" or "here we go again!!".....

Did You Know?

How about it, Lady Bulldog fans....!!

Did you know........

………these "Laws" of Volleyball Observance”?

.......The Law of Hard Hitting:
The harder you spike the ball against a weaker team, the more likely the ball is to bounce off of a defenders head and come back over the net to your side for a kill.

.......The Law of Ugly Digging:
The uglier pose you can make as you dig, the better the dig will be.

.......The Law of Coaching the Serve:
No matter how many times you cover your "vital rules of serving" (i.e. Never miss your serve after a timeout OR Never miss your serve on the last point of the game, etc), your team will go onto the court and break every one of them in a single match.

.......The Law of Parent's Complaining about the "Coaching of the Serve":
As the team breaks every one of the "vital rules of serving", the parents (unaware of the outlining & review of the rules) will be sitting in the stands exclaiming "Why don't they tell them not to miss their serve after a timeout?".

.......The Law of Calling the Play:
When the coach says from the bench "Don't let the setter tip the 2nd ball", the setter will immediately tip, and the ball will immediately hit the floor. No one will move toward it.

.......The Law of the Warm-up (from a teenage players perspective):
The louder the music in warm-up, the better you will play.

.......The Law of the Warm-up Part Deaux:
If you can't understand the words to the warm-up music, the better the team will play (p.s. If you can't understand, then you probably don't want to..)

…….A policeman promised a waitress half the winnings from his lottery ticket; all the numbers came up, and he kept his word by sharing the jackpot with her? Robert Cunningham, a thirty-year police detective and veteran was making a sort-of-joke on Friday evening, March 30, 1984 when he offered his favorite waitress Phyllis Penzo, at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, NY an unusual tip: a half-interest in a lottery ticket. When the detective walked into Sal's Pizzeria after work the next evening with the winning ticket triumphantly clutched in his hand (it was worth six million dollars): Cunningham gave Penzo $3 Million, or the equivalent of a tip of $142,857.50 a year for 20 years!


…….the Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman, who was the first full time coach for Rice University, here in Houston?

…….the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden with over 38,000 bushes with 500 varieties on 22 acres?

.......these LAWS OF THE NATURAL UNIVERSE?

.......Law of the Bath:
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

.......Law of Coffee:
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

.......Law of Rugs/Carpets:
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and higher cost of the carpet/rug.

.......Oliver's Law:
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

.......Atascocita (17-8), who won their match over Laporte in five games (29-31, 30-28, 28-26, 15-25, 15-12) really wasn't expected to make the playoffs during the preseason, much less advance to the area playoffs? "Not many people expected this," Atascocita coach Shawn Shackelford said. "But we focused on playing our game, and it was an intense match, and we got through it." Atascocita advanced to face Dulles on Friday. Dulles is one of the top teams in the state and is ranked No. 2 in the Greater Houston area. "Sometimes, ignorance is bliss," Shackelford said. "We didn't have a program last year, and although we know that Dulles is a great program, we aren't intimidated to go in and play them."

DAWGS Going for Regional Quarter Finals

Calling all DAWGS.....calling ALL DAWGS:

UIL Volleyball Regional Quarterfinal

Tuesday, Nov. 7 tentative start time

Johnson Coliseum on the Sam Houston State Campus

check the MHS website for confirmation on Monday afternoon

Magnolia Lady Bulldogs vs. Tomball

Please come out and cheer our great ladies'

volleyball team to victory and on to a

berth in the regional tournament!!

Please pass this on to your campus, (if you are a fan and if you feel it is appropriate, of course!)

GO DAWGS!!! DAWGS RULE!!!

DAWGS Chase Down TemCats for Area Championship

An exuberant scene as the Lady Bulldogs buried the

Temple TemCats in a sweep for the Area Championship.

The Magnolia Lady Bulldogs went to work tonight and clearly finished off at least 3 of the last 9 lives of the TemCats by sweeping the Temple ladies volleyball squad (25-17, 25-14, and 25-14) at the A&M Consolidated gymnasium. The District 13-5A team could not match Magnolia's speed, power, defense or experience this evening but gave it all they could in this Area matchup. In the end and after the dust had settled, the difference between the two second round teams- was too clear and wide. Once the powerful DAWGS got in the lead, the view never changed for Temple...

Lady Bulldog OH Alicia Shaffer aggressively corners Lady TemCat setter Katy Houchin.

The Lady Bulldogs opened set #1 with a variety of 'pointmakers': MB Michele Williams' first kill of the evening and Magnolia's first point came from her patented Boom Boom Glide at 1-0; and a booming Happy Birthday "gift" (of a loaded missle) for the 'Cats at 4-1; and a hammer from the backrow at 9-5....OH Alicia 'Big Al' Shaffer's timely kills at 5-2 and at 8-4 and her stellar defense kept the TemCats on their back paws, but it was her jump serving aces that really made them as nervous as being caught in a chorus line....... yah, at Riverdance!! When Hannah Fort blew in her contributions: two patented Hannah Hustle Glides, one at 7-4 and another at 12-7 and then a serving ace at 13-7, well the Lady TemCats suddenly realized they were playing District 15-5A ball!! Great defense out of Kelli Stewart with a block at 15-8 had the benevolent DAWGS cruising to a 25-17 finish. Ding!... done-deal...set #1 in the books, with DAWGS 1-0.

Give you one guess where this one's going? Lady Bulldog setter Caitlin

Holland backsetting to MB Hannah Fort for another Glide kill shot....

Again, MB Michele Williams opened the second game, 'errrr.... assault, with a shot at 1-0 and a "double-shot" at 2-0, then a dink resulting from a Kelli Stewart/Williams' combo block at 3-0. That was all that was needed, as OH Kristyn Bergen teed one off at 4-1, then some nifty serving out of OHR Kelli Stewart for a couple of aces at 5-1 and 6-1 put the gap between the two teams at 5 points. The DAWGS wanted more, and got it, from Michele Williams again with a kill at 9-1, a block at 10-2, and a Shaffer/Williams block assist at 11-2... which had the TemCats in a frenzy and looking for the exit door. Still, the DAWGS wanted more!.... OH Jamie Kaleh had a kill at 12-2, but when Alicia Shaffer hit a ball off the defenders' hands at 14-3, the margin of victory (11 points) was achieved at 14-3 and held up, to finish at 25-14.....Ding Ding!! .... now, that was a warning shot!! DAWGS up 2-0...!!


Game 3 started out with a series of unearned points from both teams with both teams tying each other up at 1-1, 3-3, 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8 before the DAWGS separated themselves at 10-8 when Alicia 'Big Serve' Shaffer rattled the TemCats, (Big time!) with a jump serve ace that couldn't be returned...and another at 11-8. You could tell the TemCats suddenly realized they'd been here before, and began to fade. Despite a valiant, last spurt at 13-12 by Temple, Michele Williams again turned around the momentum with a kill at 14-12 before turning it over to Kristyn Bergen who really scattered the 'Cats with two kills at 16-12 and 17-12. The confident DAWGS went on to outscore their opponents 8 to 2 at "crunch time" and sweep the match for the Area Championship.

Lady Bulldog MB Michele Williams led the attack with 12 kills, 2 solo blocks and 2 assist blocks along with 5 digs; while team mate OH Alicia Shaffer had a great evening of volleyball scoring a double-double: 11 kills and 10 digs with 1 assist block and 4 aces. Junior Hannah Fort was busy as well with 7 kills, 2 digs, 2 solo blocks and 1 assist block. Kristyn Bergen had another great night of playing with 6 kills and 8 digs; Jamie Kaleh and Kelli Stewart both had 1 kill each and Ashlynn Newman had an assist block. Setters Caitlin Holland led the DAWGS' assists with 17 and 2 digs; and Hannah Davies had 14 assists while adding 4 digs to the mix. Solid....all the way around!

Magnolia Lady Bulldogs Coach J keeping the DAWGS in check!

Great job, Lady Bulldogs but.... there's more work ahead to be completed!! The Lady Bulldogs will now advance to the Regional Quarterfinal against the winner of the Tomball/A&M Consolidated match (Fri. night) on either Monday or Tuesday. (details late Friday when available).

Thanks to all of you for your support! The team members are:

#1 Caitlin Holland, #2 Mandi Gray, #3 Michele Williams, #4 Kristyn Bergen, #5 Samantha Lange, #6 Ashley Meeks, #7 Jamie Kaleh, #8 Kelli Stewart, #9 Hannah Fort, #10 Alicia Shaffer, #11 Ashlynn Newman, #12 Anna Barren, #13 Ashley Howe, #14 Hannah Davies, #15 Kati Michael.....Joining the varsity for the playoffs: Angela Yzaguirre, Breane Matula, Meagan Little, Jamie Paulson, and Britany Wheaton.

GO DAWGS!!! BULLDOG PRIDE!!!