51 WINS, CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH LADY BULLDOGS RECORD-BREAKING SEASON

GARLAND — Iola capped their 51-win season with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-9, 17-25, 25-12) win over the Crawford Pirates Nov. 17, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland to earn the 2A State Championship.

Iola (51-1) earned their fourth state championship in their 13th state tournament appearance including their second championship win over Crawford (47-7) who have two state titles. The Lady Bulldogs prevailed over the Pirates in 2020.

“Crawford is tough,” said Iola Head Coach Jamie McDougald. “Coach [Jeff] Coker watches his film, and he will figure out a way to pick you apart.”

“I told the girls our record is 50-1, we’ll figure out a way to win, we just have to get on the court and see what they’re doing to us and we’ll adjust and go from there,” McDougald said. “When you play Crawford, you are always in for a battle.”

McDougald said her team was prepared for the championship matchup. “We got in the gym yesterday after we watched Crawford and practiced every scenario,” explained McDougald. “It paid dividends today, they were ready.”

McDougald said after practice they continued studying game film. “After we practiced for two hours, we went to the film room at the hotel and watched some more. And they took notes and paid attention and were ready for it today. He [Coach Coker] did what we thought he was going to do, and it got to us a few times, but for the most part we were ready.”

The 2A State Champion MVP, senior Lindsey Gooch, credits their win to McDougald’s knowledge of the game. “She just has like a way and knowledge of volleyball and it just clicks with us,” said Gooch.

“She always finds a way,” stated Gooch. “In the practice gym yesterday, she brought up, I would say five different defenses, to run against Crawford to be able to beat them. Without that we would have had a lot more trouble. She has the mind of the game and without it I don’t think we could do this.”

Gooch had 28 kills and 22 digs to earn MVP. “That’s a really good feeling,” Gooch said of the MVP recognition. “But I couldn’t do it without any of my teammates though. They get the pass and the set and without them it wouldn’t be possible.”

Iola rewrote history with the 51-win season, and senior Abree Raley remembers the 2-1 tournament loss to 6A Willis, their 17th game of the season. Iola knocked off Willis, 2-0, just six games prior. When asked about notching 51 wins in her senior campaign, Raley simply shrugged her shoulders as she said, “We don’t like losing.”

Iola defeated Schulenburg in the state semifinals 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22) Gooch had 24 of the teams 49 kills in that match followed by junior Sydney Nevill with 14.

Three Lady Bulldogs earned a spot on the 2A State Championship All-Tournament team, Gooch, sophomore Rylee Goodney and Nevill. Nevill had 20 kills in the tournament. Goodney finished with 82 assists, seven aces and 19 digs.

Iola State Championship Roster

#1 Ava Bessette (SO), #2 Abree Raley (Sr), #3 Sydney Nevill (JR), #4 Cami Hoyle (FR), # 8 Kylan Thomas (SO), #9 Katara Larson (JR), #13 Shaylee McKown (SO), #15 Lindsey Gooch (SR).

Box Scores

2A STATE SEMIFINAL WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15

Iola 3, Schulenburg 1( 25 19,25-20,19-25,25-22)

Schulenburg (37-13) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Emmrie Marx 18-0-2; Meredith Magliolo 12-0-5; Jessalyn Gipson 12-0-1; Reagan Dusek 4-1-1; Brooke Redding 2-0-1;Avery Helms 1-1-0; Kieryn Adams 0-2-0; Landry Zapalac 0-0-1; Clara Magliolo 0-2-0; Madison Kunschick 0-1-0; Totals 49-7-6.0. (Assists) - Landry Zapalac 41. (Dig leaders) Kieryn Adams 41; Avery Helms 10

Iola (50-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lindsey Gooch 242-0; Sydney Nevill 14-0-5; Abree Raley 5-6-3; Shaylee McKown 4-12; Rylee Goodney 1-4-1; Ava Bessette 1-2-0; Cami Hoyle 0-2-0; Kylan Thomas 0-1-3; Totals 49-18-8.0. (Assists) - Rylee Goodney 42. (Dig leaders) - Ava Bessette 18; Lindsey Gooch 14; Shaylee McKown 10

2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY, NOV. 17

Iola 3, Crawford 1 (25 22,25-9,17-25,25-12)

Crawford (44-7) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Bre Featherston 9-1-0; Hattie Hayes 8-2-0; Beryn Hyland 6-0-1; Blair Keith 4-1-0; Cassyn Aguirre 4-0-1; Ella Connell 2-2-1; Laney Elmore 0-1-0; Kelsey Reeves 0-2-0; Totals 33-9-2.0. (Assists) - Blair Keith 23. (Dig leaders) Laney Elmore 34; Bre Featherston 15; Ella Connell 14; Blair Keith 11; Ali Maddox 10

Iola (51-1) (Kills-aces blocks) - Lindsey Gooch 28-0-0; Sydney Nevill 9-0-4; Shaylee McKown 7-3-3; Abree Raley 4-2-2; Kylan Thomas 1-2-0; Cami Hoyle 0-1-0; Rylee Goodney 0-3-0; Totals 49-11-7.0. (Assists) - Rylee Goodney 40. (Dig leaders) - Lindsey Gooch 22; Shaylee McKown 19; Ava Bessette 17; Rylee Goodney 14.