Neches volleyball team finishes as Class 1A runner-up. (Brandon Ogden/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

GARLAND — Harrold captured its first volleyball state championship in program history with a 3-1 win (25-3, 19-25, 26-24, 25-21) over Neches in the Class 1A Volleyball State Championship match Thursday afternoon at the Curtis Culwell Center.

“I am so proud of them,” Neches head volleyball coach Jenna Jenkins said. “We’ve been plagued with injuries. They’ve been so tough. They do their best to show up and play through injuries. They’re tough and gritty. I’m so proud.

“All four of these (seniors) had to come in as freshmen, we had just graduated our big 2020 group, and they came in immediately and had to fill shows and had full-time roles on varsity. They’ve done such a good job. It’s just been a wonderful four years with them.”

Neches is a three-time state champion, winning consecutively from 2018-20, collecting the last one when the current seniors were in the eighth grade. On Thursday, the seniors and the rest of the Lady Tigers tried to lead the comeback, but the Lady Hornets with six seniors of their own, held on for the victory. The championship comes after Harrold lost to Blum in the 2023 title game in its first trip to the state tournament.

Neches, which lost to Blum in the 2023 semifinals, defeated Blum (Blum (25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21) in the Class 1A Region III semifinals this year.

With the score tied at seven in the first set Harrold went on a 4-0 run. Neches eventually rallied to tie the score at 12 on a kill by Sealy Hines, but Harrold answered with four consecutive points to go up 16-12.

The Lady Tigers battled back once again and an ace by Matalie Main but Neches in front 18-17. A 7-2 spurt by the Lady Hornets made the score 24-20. Kacie Trimble had a block to keep the set alive, and Trimble served two aces to make the score 24-23.

A kill by Iyona Willie on an assist by Jaylee Lowe gave Harrold the 25-23 victory in the opening set.

In the second set, Neches got up 4-0 really quick and built a 12-3 lead on a block by Trimble. Harrold got the score to 18-15, but Neches built a 24-19 advantage before a kill by Aubrey Kincade tied the match.

Harrold led 9-1, 11-3, 14-7 and 15-9 in the third set before Neches tied the score at 16. Down 23-20 and 24-22, Neches rallied to tie the score at 24 before kills by Willie and Mylie Maness gave the Lady Hornets the 26-24 victory.

“We talked about how if we hadn’t dug ourselves into a 9-1 hole in the beginning, that should have been a win for us, or could have been a win for us,” Jenkins said. “I hate that it started out so rough. But I was very proud of the grit they showed, clawing their way back to a really tight finish.”

Neches led 3-0 and 8-5 in the fourth set. Harrold battled back and grabbed a 15-11 lead with a 6-0 run.

Neches eventually tied the score at 19 and 20 on kills by Trimble, but Harrold ended the match with a 5-1 run to win the 1A championship.

Maness finished with 15 kills and 14 digs to win Most Valuable Player honors for Harrold (39-6).

Flo Richardson had 10 kills and four aces; Willie 14 kills; Jaylee Lowe 41 assists; Emma Box 13 digs; and Saydee Duncan four aces.

Trimble, an ETBU pledge, finished with 31 kills, five blocks, four assists, four aces and 10 digs for Neches (38-9).

“These girls and my coach and this program have shaped the player that I am,” Trimble said. “I’m blessed to go play volleyball after high school, and I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do that without these people.”

Hines had nine kills and 14 digs; Kincade seven kills and 19 digs; and Joely Jenkins 42 assists and 14 digs.