SNYDER - Wylie was surrounded by Tigers on Thursday night but earned its stripes and a match in the second round of the Class 5A volleyball playoffs.

The No. 7 Bulldogs took on the Frenship Tigers in the home of the Snyder Tigers. Wylie had more bite, taking a 25-19, 25-16, 25-15 win in a match that closed at under 90 minutes.

It was Wylie’s 19th straight win and pushed coach Shay Cox’s team to a Class 5A Division II area match, likely Monday in Monahans against the winner of the Canutillo vs. Del Valle matchup.

The Bulldogs now are 35-4, one win better than 2025. Frenship, from District 3-5A, closed at 29-15.

It was a clean win for Wylie, which made just eight errors in three sets and trailed only four times and never by more than a point. The teams played in the second match of the season with Wylie winning 3-1.

The Bulldogs have big goals this playoff season but it was good to get that first win.

“It is exciting to win, very exciting to win,” Cox said.

Cox said her team played clean volleyball, especially in the first set. The Set 1 win put Wylie in control of the match.

“I was very proud of them,” she said of how the Bulldogs started and later responded to challenges by a scrappy Frenship team.

Wylie was able to negate hitter Reese Roberts. Cox said before the match that the Tigers standout would get her share of the points, but Wylie was able to negate that for the most part.

The Tigers were outmatched at the net and focused on trying to find holes in Wylie’s defense.

“To go off, around, through, that’s what they were trying to do. They were trying to take us out of our middle attack in that second set. Our middles were hot that first set,” Cox said. “It was good strategy, and I’m glad we overcame that.”

Cox said the loud playoff environment - both schools brought their share of fans and cheerleader units - could’ve had an effect on her team.

But it did not.

“You never know if they are going to focus and lock in, but they did,” she said of the Bulldogs.

FAST START

Wylie scored the first point of the night and rolled to a quick 20-13 lead.

Frenship made its best run of the match, scoring six of the next seven points, including five straight with Madison Ryan on the service line. D’nae Dolton’s winner accounted for Wylie’s only point as Frenship closed to within 21-19.

A kill by Kiki Bolden stopped the bleeding and with Morgan Bearden serving, the Bulldogs closed the set with a block winner of Frenship’s top hitter, Roberts.

Frenship earned the first point of Set 2 but then served long. Wylie took command at 11-7 on Haddie Mock’s winner to the middle of the court but the Tigers got the next two points.

That, however, was as close as Frenship would get. With Annalise Loudermilk on the line after another Mock winner, Wylie went up 15-9 and then 20-12 on a Frenship error.

The teams traded points until a long serve by Frenship ended the set with a nine-point Wylie win.

Set 3 was tighter, with Frenship taking only its second lead at 3-2 on a Landry Silhan’s hit that rolled over Wylie’s blockers. The Tigers would lead at 7-6 and 8-7 before two scoring hits by Bolden put Wylie back in front. Frenship tied the set for the last time at 9 before the Bulldogs took charge.

A shot into the net by Roberts made it 10-9 and Bolden slammed a kill. The closest Frenship would get would be at 14-12 but a Jenna Stricklin kill started a Wylie run.

Stricklin scored three of the next six Wylie points with Kenley Collier serving effectively. Collier even smacked a winner from the back row. Wylie turned a 14-12 lead into a 21-12 advantage that subdued the Tigers.

“Just having the mindset of playing for the girls,” Collier said of her role in Wylie’s push to the win. “In the tough matches and tough rallies, just focusing on the next play. Just giving my teammates a chance for the kills.”

Said Stricklin, “Getting on a run helps get our momentum and our drive to winning it. I think we did a very good job with that.”

She said her team prepared for what Frenship wanted to do to counter Wylie’s advantage at the net.

“We came in well prepared,” she said.

Dolton, red-hot early in the match, led Wylie with 10 kills while Mock and Bolden had eight each.

Frenship was plagued by its own errors and a so-so night at the service line. In contrast, Wylie had just two service errors and recorded six aces.

Mock had three blocks to lead Wylie.

THE REST OF THE DISTRICT

In other opening matches, District 4-5A runnerup Wichita Falls Memorial took a 3-1 win over Lubbock-Cooper while WF Legacy fell 3-1 to Midlothian. Amarillo Tascosa blanked Abilene High 3-0.

Wylie has its sights set on a rematch with top-ranked Argyle, which has scored 3-0 playoff wins over Wylie the past two seasons. Argyle opens the playoffs Friday against Frisco Lone Star.

Nailing the first win to get to a rematch is what Wylie needed to accomplish in Tigerland.

“Over the moon,” Collier said of Thursday’s success. “I’m so excited. My senior year. This is all I could wish for.

“”I am very proud of all of my teammates.”