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LaFayette’s volleyball season came to an end during the area tournament as the Bulldogs were beaten in straight sets at the hands of Horseshoe Bend. 

It went 25-0, 25-2 and 25-8 as LaFayette struggled to get anything going throughout the match. Coming into the area tournament as the bottom seed, the Bulldogs were a longshot to advance against the Generals. 

“Horseshoe Bend is really good,” LaFayette coach Chase Lewis said. “I think they’re a final four team, or they might win it all in 2A. They’ve been playing for so long. They start at a young age.” 

LaFayette finishes the season with just two wins, which does not seem like much for most programs. However, the Bulldogs had not won a game in three seasons. Those two wins were important for the program. Lewis felt as though the team had improved mightily from where they had been in the past. 

“At the end of the day, I’m proud of them,” Lewis said. “They did well.” 

Toniya Collier was the unquestioned leader this season for the Bulldogs. Collier is the only girl on the team who has been with the program for the entirety of her high school career. 

After losing the second set, Collier was clearly starting to get emotional as she saw her playing days potentially coming to an end. Lewis encouraged Collier and supported her going into the final set of her high school career. 

“I said, play your (butt) off, I’m very proud of you,” Lewis said. “As simple as that. She is the top dog.”