Article by Greg Jaklewicz
Photos Courtesy of WylieSports.com
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A Team Missing from the Rankings
Look at the Class 5A state volleyball rankings and a very good team is missing.
The Wylie Bulldogs.
Coach Shay Cox’s group won the District 2-5A championship again, this time outright, to enter the Division II playoffs with a 33-7 record. That mark is one of the best in the program’s history.
Additionally, Wylie’s unbeaten run through district play is a first at the 5A level.
Finishing Strong
The cherry on top was a closing 3-0 win in Wichita Falls against second-place Memorial. The Mavs took a 2-0 lead before Wylie roared back for a 3-2 win at Wylie in the first round of district play. This time, Wylie took command early to secure its 12th straight win in a packed gym on a pink-out night, winning 25-23, 25-17, 25-22.
“They even had their band,” Cox said. “We just started out strong and knowing what was on the other side was a big difference for us. We made adjustments on their big hitters.
“They were not playing with the same speed and tenacity that they brought into our gym.”
The Bulldogs, Cox said, had something to do with that.
The Mavs were without their libero, which likely hurt their high-powered offense.
“She’s pretty feisty, so that probably made a difference,” Cox said.
However, Wylie, which played without D’Nae Dolton, did the things it needed to do, including better defense against Memorial’s two outstanding outside hitters.
Eva Grisel had a field day at Wylie but did not dominate this time around.
“(She) definitely was putting down the ball. After that, we were, like, we are definitely going to block her,” Bulldogs sophomore Kiki Bolden said. “We definitely shut them down.”
It was the perfect way to enter the playoffs.
“We are super excited. We have been very focused,” Cox said. “This team is very goal oriented. We’re trying to check on the boxes and keep working hard.”
Next Up: Lubbock Coronado
Wylie takes on Lubbock Coronado, which tied Lubbock-Cooper for third place in its district but enters the playoffs as the No. 4 team.
Wylie went 8-0 in district play; Coronado was 11-5. Amarillo High ripped through District 3-5A with a 16-0 mark.
Wylie and Coronado also opened the playoffs in 2024, with Wylie taking a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-17, 25-19).
Cox said Coronado is improved and will put a better team on the court tonight — Wednesday, October 30, at 6 p.m. in Snyder.
📍 Game Info: Lady Bulldogs vs. Lubbock Coronado — 6:00 p.m. tonight in Snyder!
The winner advances to play the winner of the El Paso showdown between Del Valle and Jefferson. Wylie downed Jefferson 3-0 in the area round last fall.
However, Cox and her team will remain focused on the one match that currently is scheduled.
“They’re a very different team than the one we faced last year. They have more weapons. They are scrappy in their backcourt,” she said.
Bolden has been to the postseason once and can share that experience with her younger teammates.
Bolden said the playoffs are more “nerve wracking. It’s the playoffs and one elimination. I tell them we just need to do our best and fight for every point.”
That echoes what her coach emphasizes: Don’t get ahead of yourself.
“Definitely, get that out of your mind,” Bolden said of focusing on Coronado.
That’s hard to do with a goal-oriented team. Wylie has aspirations to get to the third round and win this time.
Wylie played Argyle in the third round last year and lost 3-0.
Argyle lost in the regional final in five sets (25-13, 20-25, 25-16, 28-30, 15-12) to Frisco Wakeland, which then won the state championship.
Thus, Wylie has played the best and knows what is ahead.
“I have played against the hitters from Argyle. We just need to be ready and have our game faces on,” Bolden said.
That starts with Lubbock Coronado.
“Just go one point at a time,” Bolden said. “That’s what I like to say. Just one point at a time. We definitely want to fight and win every point.”
Making Potential a Reality
Wylie fielded a good team in 2024 but overall was 23-16. Included was a five-match losing streak just before district play started. The Bulldogs avoided that kind of dip this year, losing only consecutive matches twice. Each time, Wylie course corrected.
Wylie’s sparkling record doesn’t surprise Cox.
“I knew the potential was there. I knew if we got it together and they really trusted each other, they were going to do great things,” she said. “Looking back now, it shouldn’t have been a surprise but with each win, I was ‘OK, we’re getting this.’”
A lot has to click on the volleyball court but Cox points to her team’s defensive play as the biggest difference between last year and this year.
“We’ve made quicker adjustments and some of the balls that our girls can go get with the speed and agility they have … that definitely has been fun to watch,” she said.
“And our offense got smarter. Seeing what is in front of them and seeing the places where they can get the ball to.”
Overall, Wylie is a young team. However, there is playoff experience. And, Cox said, the players have been in tough matches during club play in the offseason.
“But there is always a little bit of nerves that you have to shake out when that whistle blows the first game but we’re excited about the experience we’re taking into the playoffs,” Cox said.
The playoffs do start later on. Even if Wylie is favored to advance, the only match that matters is this week.
Cox wants to see her team’s “confidence in each other and taking care of the ball. I know serve-receive is usually strong for us, and I hope we carry that into this first match. That will set up our offense.”
Taking a winning streak into the playoffs is a plus but, Cox said, “we have to respect that team. We take care of ourselves. While our expectations are high, we know we have to bring our game.”
As for a State Ranking …
Shay Cox is not worried.
The 5A teams in West Texas do not regularly compete against many of the ranked teams in the east.
Amarillo High, a traditional powerhouse, is ranked No. 5. Otherwise, it’s quiet out west.
Wylie owns a 3-2 win over Class 3A No. 9 Bushland and lost 2-0 to Class 4A No. 1 Liberty in tournament play.
Could Wylie be a sleeper?
Cox just smiles.