After an Ingleside avalanche in the first set, Moody volleyball eked out a win in the second to tie the match and never looked back in a 13-25, 25-23, 25-10, 25-18 win to secure the Trojans' first playoff appearance in volleyball since 2013.
Delilah Flores led Moody with 16 kills, helping the Trojans fight off a Mustangs surge in the second set before the raucous gymnasium helped Moody reel off the last two sets comfortably to clinch the postseason.
"We were able to communicate and bring back our energy for sure," Flores said. "We were down, but we were able to come back. Coach (Evelyn) Reyes believes in us. And if she believes in us, we can do anything."
Ingleside, which itself has had a breakthrough season under coach Tasha Wilson, stunned Moody
with a massive 17-5 run to close the first set, but when the Trojans got a little momentum in the second, it cascaded into a dominant third set.
The Mustangs tried to rally and took a 6-3 lead in the fourth, but Moody again caught fire and did enough to secure the win and playoff berth, finishing fourth in District 30-4A play with a 6-6 record.
Moody was moved to Class 4A during February's UIL Realignment.
"With this team it is hard to get started, but once we get started we are on," Moody coach Evelyn Reyes said. "And the energy is flowing.
"This group is special. This is our first playoff berth in my eight years. My seniors — I've had them for four years and this is awesome for the whole program. Moving to 4A made a difference for our girls. Plus their momentum, energy and communication. They knew if they kept fighting they could make the playoffs."
The Trojans will be the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Division I playoffs, facing the No. 1 seed from District 29-4A next week in the bi-district round.
The Mustangs close out the season with Rockport-Fulton on Friday, and although Ingleside will fall short of a postseason berth, the program made strides with Wilson, winning a district match for the first time in more than six seasons and more than nine games in a single season for the first time since 2018.
"The kids were really excited about starting something new at the beginning of the season," Wilson said. "Hopefully we are going to carry that through the whole program from the seventh grade up. I have eight coming back so we are going to continue to change the standard and hope to give Rockport-Fulton a run for their money."
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Moody volleyball tops Ingleside to claim first playoff spot since 2013
