Tioga beats Alvord 3-1 in 2A Division I Region II Final
Alvord fell to Tioga in four sets during the 2A Division I Region II Final on Tuesday at Ponder High School, ending its postseason run one win shy of a state tournament berth.
The Tech TL;DR:
- Alvord finished its season with a 27-13 record after the 3-1 defeat to Tioga.
- Tioga claimed the regional championship with set scores of 25-22, 17-25, 21-25, and 22-25.
- Tioga advances to face 2AI Region I winner Nocona in the state semifinals.
For the second straight season, the 3-1 loss eliminated Alvord from the postseason, coming on the heels of a sweep by Tioga in last year’s bi-district round. Tioga improved its season record to 38-11 with the victory.
Alvord opened the match by overcoming an early 11-6 deficit in the first set. Igniting a scoring surge, Kali Williams notched a kill followed by an ace from Addi Simmons, while a double contact on Tioga pulled Alvord as close as 11-9.
| Set | Alvord Score | Tioga Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 22 | Alvord win |
| 2 | 17 | 25 | Tioga win |
| 3 | 21 | 25 | Tioga win |
Propelled by two kills from Limbaugh and a well-timed overpass finish courtesy of Kiana Major, Alvord clawed back from a 16-12 hole to narrow the score to 16-14. Alvord capitalized on a point reversal to tie the set at 18-18.
Neither team created separation down the stretch of the opening frame until the score reached 22-22. A Tioga attack sailed long to give Alvord a 23-22 advantage, and Alvord closed out the set when Tioga was whistled for four hits on set point.
Tioga responded in the second set behind an offensive stretch from outside hitter Kyndal Whitley and an ace from Kennedy Slay as Alvord fell behind 6-2 and eventually 11-2. Alvord trimmed the deficit to 13-10 with kills from Limbaugh and Fanning, an ace from Withers, and a Tioga four-touch violation, but Ella Norwood added late aces to secure the second set for Tioga.
The third set featured a close battle before Tioga built a 16-13 advantage. Alvord tied the score at 19-19 and again at 21-21 after Fanning made a save to keep a long rally alive, but Tioga won the next two points on a controversial out-of-bounds call and closed out a 25-21 win.
Alvord fell into an early 7-3 hole in the fourth set and faced a 21-12 deficit. Williams delivered a pair of kills, Fanning added an ace, and Chase dropped in a timely tip to pull Alvord within 23-19, but Tioga closed out the set 25-22 to secure the regional championship.
Tioga faces 2AI Region I winner Nocona 1 p.m. Saturday in the state semifinals.