The Quitman Lady Bulldogs knocked off unbeaten Alba-Golden Friday night in five exciting games, 27-25, 16-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-8. The Lady Bulldogs clinched a playoff spot earlier in the week with a win at Mineola. Quitman is 8-3 going into Tuesday's contest at Grand Saline while the Lady Panthers have already clinched first place with a 10-1 record with one game to go. The Lady Bulldogs could pull into a tie with Grand Saline for second place with a win.

The defending district champ Lady Panthers, who had already secured their second consecutive district championship, had not lost a set in district play until upended by Quitman 27-25 in the first game Friday. The Lady Panthers came back and took the second game 16-25, but the Lady Bulldogs came back for a 25-21 finish in game three. The roller-coaster night found the Lady Panthers on the winning side in the fourth game 15-25 before the Lady Bulldogs took an early 8-3 lead in game five they would never give up on the way to the 15-8 clincher.

In the fifth game, Quitman took a 1-0 lead on a Raley kill and never fell behind. With the score 5-3 Tanner made two big plays at the net, one a soft shot just out of reach for Alba-Golden to make it 6-3 and a kill to move the score to 7-3 and the Lady Panthers got no closer.

"I am so proud of this team, they really came through tonight," Head Coach Ashlee Lingo said. "When we got to that fifth game, they were not nervous and it showed in how they played the game."

Quitman sophomore Kaci Raley was outstanding in the Friday night win. She recorded a phenomenal 24 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Cammie Hicks continued her assault on the record books with 46 assists, eight digs and an ace. Sophomore Molly Tanner had 11 kills, nine digs and two aces while senior Houck hit nine kills and had five digs. Freshman Madalyn Spears frustrated the Lady Panthers with her 16 digs and five kills.

For the Lady Panthers, CeTara Carter scored on 15 kills and two aces. Caitlin Lennon played a great floor game with 24 assists while teammate Brianna Weisert added 21 assists.

Quitman 3 Mineola 0

They were playing great music at the Mineola Gym last Tuesday night, but it was the Quitman Lady Bulldogs who danced their way into the state playoffs clinching a spot for a bi-district match. The young Lady Bulldogs played with the poise and intensity of a veteran team trouncing the Lady 'Jackets 25-13, 25-8, 25-15 for a 3-0 victory in front of a large contingent of Quitman fans.

Sophomore Kaci Raley was dominant at the net scoring on 15 kills, 14 digs and one ace. Another sophomore, Cammie Hicks, once again set up scores time and again with 26 assists and six digs. Molly Tanner, also a sophomore, added 15 digs and three kills. Junior Macy Wilson played solid on offense and defense with 12 digs and four kills, while senior Dawn Houck had a timely seven kills and two digs. Sophomore Madison Haggerty and nine digs and one ace while freshman Madalyn

Spears added eight digs and a kill.

"This game felt great! The girls felt confident and that is what we need. I was really proud of them," He Lingo said.

In the first game, Mineola started fast and led 2-0 before the Lady Bulldogs scored nine straight points to lead 9-2 as Hicks set the tone with perfectly placed sets while Raley and Tanner controlled the nets.

The Lady 'Jackets got back into the game cutting the score to 12-7 before another Quitman run highlighted by hard to handle serves from freshman Madalyn Spears to up the Lady Bulldogs lead to 17-7. Mineola would get close closing the gap to 17-13 before Wilson stepped to the line and served out with Raley getting a kill for the last point in the 25-13 win.

The second game was total dominance for Quitman as they rolled to a 25-8 smashing of the Lady 'Jackets. Once again, Mineola took an early lead at 1-0 and tied the game 2-2 and 3-3 before the Lady Bulldogs would start to dominate the game. With the score 11-4, Wilson had consecutive block for scores to up the lead to 13-4. Quitman opened up a 16-4 advantage followed by an 18-7 lead before finishing off the game with the final seven points for a 25-8 thrashing.

In the final game, Quitman took an early 8-1 lead. With the score 12-3 Hicks set Wilson for a powerful kill to open up a 13-3 lead. Mineola would get no closer than 17-11 and the Lady Bulldogs put the game away 25-23.

Quitman's constant hustling, diving for the ball, blocks at the net and ferocious kills were too much for the Lady 'Jackets on this evening.