Chasing History: DC v'ball assures first regional final since '01

Senior Journie Hilliard gets a block on Nov. 9 during Dodd City's Region II-1A volleyball semifinals win. Photo by Rich Hilliard

CALLISBURG -- Dodd City's 2020 volleyball team has advanced where only a few Lady Hornets squads in the sport in school history have been.

Journie Hilliard made 28 kills and eight blocks and Dani Baccus totaled 23 assists and six digs, as Dodd City defeated Saint Jo, 22-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15, in a Region II-1A semifinal on Nov. 9.

The win put the No. 6 Lady Hornets (19-4) in their first volleyball regional final since 2001 -- when Dodd City made its third of three-consecutive program-best trips (1999-2001) that deep in the postseason of the sport.

No. 3 Blum defeated Bryson on Nov. 10 to also reach the Region II-1A Final -- Friday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Mabank High School -- with tickets to be sold at the gate -- and a state semifinals appearance Nov. 16 or 17 for the winner.

Kylee Graves had eight assists, three digs and two aces; Tori Dotson added six kills, two digs and an ace; and Rion Baccus garnered four digs with a pair of kills and aces for the Lady Hornets.

Hilliard also had two digs and an ace Dani Baccus served three aces, Addyson Chaney made two digs and Camryn McCarley recorded a block for Dodd City.

An ace-filled win in the regional quarterfinals advanced the Lady Hornets to their first regional semifinal in volleyball since 2016.

Hilliard totaled 15 kills and three aces with a block and dig and Dani Baccus finished with 13 assists, five aces and four digs, as Dodd City defeated Hubbard, 25-16, 25-13, 25-13, in a regional quarterfinal on Nov. 5.

Dotson had eight kills with two aces and Graves added seven assists, two aces and a kill for the Lady Hornets.

Others for Dodd City during the third-round win included: Rion Baccus, five aces, two kills, two digs; Chaney; two digs, one ace; and McCarley, one block.