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“Districts last year didn’t go how we wanted, so it really fires us up to do better this year,” said El Dorado Springs volleyball player Tevi Gurley.
El Dorado Springs had a chance to win back to back district championships.
“We went into districts 28-3,” said Bulldogs head coach Ashley Rogers.
The Bulldogs had the 1-seed, but after a first round bye, their season ended at the hands of their rivals, getting swept by 4-seed Stockton.
“It was upsetting. I thought that should have been a game that we should have blown over,” said Bulldogs junior Reese Schaaf.
“We lost to a rival of ours, so it really burned. It really upset us,” Gurley said.
This year, the Bulldogs are playing with a chip on their shoulder, winning 9-straight matches to open the season.
“We still talk about the district tournament last year, and that’s what motivates them to do their best,” Rogers said.
They won’t be able to get their revenge in districts this year though, as El Dorado Springs is now Class 3.
“That’s different, we’re going to play a lot of different teams. Clinton is the only team we’re going to see in the regular season, and play in the district tournament,” Rogers said.
And while almost the entire team is back this season, this group is different than it was a year ago.
“We have a lot more mental toughness and I think that can go a long way,” Schaaf said.
“We have great chemistry, so it’s been really great to have this group of girls again, and they’re still pretty young,” said Rogers.
Now, midway through the season, the Lady Bulldogs are no longer looking back — they’re only looking ahead to finishing the season as strong as they started.
“I’m really excited for what we have left to do, and what we can come out with,” said Gurley.
