For the second year in the row, the varsity volleyball team advanced to playoffs. The Raiders finished third in district with an 11-3 record.

Going into the final four games, the team was 8-2 and tied for first place with Round Rock and Westwood. They swept McNeil 3-0 at the Mavericks’ home court, Oct. 16 and then traveled to face Westwood who they beat in five sets in the first round of district.

“They were good. Westwood was tough because they’re like our rivals this year, but it was good,” junior Meagan Anderson said. “We played hard…We knew they were coming hard at us so we had to fight, but it was good.”

Westwood won the first game 25-13, but the team won a close second game 25-22. The Warriors took the third and fourth games to win the match 3-1.

“Our defense was kind of weak that game and we couldn’t close our blocks,” Anderson said. “We’ve been working on that in practice so hopefully we can get it better for playoffs.”

The loss moved the Raiders into third place with Round Rock and Westwood taking the top two spots. With Cedar Ridge and Stony Point both vying for the final playoff spot, the Raiders won both matches at home, sweeping Cedar Ridge 3-0 and beating the Tigers 3-1.

“It went really well, we beat Stony Point in four,” junior Kathy Manning said. “We played really hard and even though before them we had a guaranteed a spot in playoffs, we know that it wasn’t a game to take lightly.”

The strong district finish means the girls will reach the post-season for the second year in a row, and only the second time in the programs history.

“We have actually had a really successful season so far,” junior Casey Tarvin said. “We’re like 31-16 and the just getting over 30 wins is really amazing. The fact that we made it into playoffs and at least had a chance at district champions is really good for our program. It’s exciting that we have a chance to go further into playoffs.”

The team’s first playoff matchup is Tuesday, Nov. 3 against District 14’s second place team Lake Travis. The Cavaliers finished 13-3 in district and have a 24-14 overall record.

“This year Lake Travis’ program is kind of shaky and so we think we have a really good chance at winning,” Tarvin said. “We’ve been watching films so we’re going to execute on plays more and understand what they’re going to do. I think that we’re going to come out with a win.”

The bi-district match starts at 6 p.m. at Toney Burger Center in south Austin.