La Vernia High School junior middle hitter Adyson Dye ascended for an attack, hoping to record a kill that would keep her team’s hopes and season alive.

Davenport’s Aubrey Dyson, a junior middle blocker, had a different plan. More essentially, she carried a nagging memory. It was an image of what transpired a year earlier on the same court, against the same opponent, in another intense, high-stakes encounter. Back then, La Vernia prevailed in a five-set thriller and proceeded to earn its first trip to the state tournament and end Davenport’s two-year reign over Region IV.

Dyson rejected Dye’s attempt, putting an exclamation point on the Wolves’ 25-20, 26-24, 26-24 win on Thursday in a Region IV-4A Division II semifinal contest at Littleton Gym. She celebrated the moment with a double-bicep pose.

“Just puts, like, a good taste in my mouth,” Dyson said. “Our focus was on playing as a team. Knowing that this was a big moment for us, I think we just wanted it more. We showed it on the court, honestly.”

In the nightcap of a doubleheader, Kerrville Tivy swept Floresville 25-19, 25-22, 25-9 and advanced to its first regional final since 2017. The Antlers will face District 27-4A foe Davenport for regional supremacy, the fourth time this season the squads will play each other. Kerrville Tivy won the first three meetings, prevailing in five sets on Sept. 25 and Oct. 13 during league competition and in two sets during a tournament on Aug. 15.

“We had a tough district this year, but it prepared us for playoffs,” Tivy senior outside hitter/middle blocker Danica Blaker said.

The evening started with a showdown between La Vernia and Davenport (34-11), who have combined to win the previous three regional titles — La Vernia a year ago, Davenport in 2023 and 2024. This contest, which was the second meeting this season between the clubs — La Vernia prevailed 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 on Sept. 4 — more than lived up to the hype.

“We adjusted to when we played them at the beginning of the year,” said Davenport junior libero Dakota Hart, who was a freshman on the 2023 state-winning team. “It was nice to see everyone work together. We have to focus on the game. We can’t have any excuses.”

The Bears (25-23), who played for the state crown in 2025 but lost three key players — two who went Division I — and their coach (Danielle Coleman moved to New Braunfels and was replaced by Catherine Foerster, who has won two state titles as a head coach and two others as a player), fought off two match points in the third set. They erased four set points in the second frame.

But Davenport junior outside hitter McKenzie Meyers produced seven kills over the final two stanzas to keep the Wolves afloat. She had six kills in the final frame. Meyers tore her left ACL and was sidelined in 2025.

“It’s definitely like a full-circle moment, getting to play, when I’ve been watching the past year, and finding the love for it,” Meyers said. “It was so amazing to get to play out there and make an impact.”

Kerrville Tivy (30-15) is headed to a regional final for only the second time in nearly 30 years, and this year’s trek has been fueled by a roster that includes 12 seniors who have known each other since sixth grade. The Antlers barely missed out on a playoff berth a year ago while competing in a Class 5A district with the likes of New Braunfels, Smithson Valley, Pieper and Boerne Champion, but dropped to 4A during the University Interscholastic League’s biennial reclassification and realignment in February.

Against Floresville, the Antlers took control midway through the opening set and never lost control. They pulled away in the latter stages to secure the second set, then used a 10-0 run to close out the final stanza.

“We wanted to make a statement — it was all or nothing,” Kerrville Tivy senior outside hitter Lily Gonzalez said. “We don’t want volleyball season to end. We’re doing our best every single day not to lose.”

Kerrville Tivy displayed as much on Thursday, using a balanced offense orchestrated by senior setter Rylie Coates to wear down Floresville (34-11). With one more win, the Antlers can make it to a place they haven’t been in nearly 50 years.

“That is great that we can have five people on the court that can hit the ball,” Blaker said. “It just allows us to have more options. We’re confident that each and every one of us can put down the ball.”

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