Long before the volleyball season began, the Iota players told coach Glenn Daigle the things they wanted to accomplish.

The biggest goal was to qualify for the state volleyball tournament.

Once the season tipped off, the Bulldogs focused on putting themselves in the best position to accomplish that feat.

“I cannot complain at all,” Daigle said. “I think all of the girls have totally bought in, and they've been working really, really hard to achieve the goal they set at the beginning of the year.”

The Bulldogs, who have been one of the best teams in the state in their division, are 25-4 overall and winners of the Division III District 2 championship and qualified for the playoffs.

“They have put in the work and now they are reaping the rewards,” Daigle said.

On Monday, the Bulldogs learned the path they’ll have to travel to reach their goal of playing in the state tournament that will be held Nov. 12-14 at the Cajundome. The Bulldogs, who last qualified for the state tournament in 2021, were one of 32 Acadiana area teams to earn a playoff berth.

St. Thomas More in Division II and Westminster Christian in Division V are No. 1 seeds, while ESA is the lone area team to get a No. 2 seed.

Each of the past four seasons, the Bulldogs — who are the No. 3 seed in Division III and will play host to No. 30 South Beauregard — have been eliminated from the playoffs in the second round. In three of those four years, the Bulldogs were ousted by private schools.

“We’ve been getting knocked out the last couple of years, and it just left a bad taste in their mouths,” Daigle said. “So, it's like these girls are getting tired of getting beat by some private schools. So they worked really hard this year. They want to make it to the (Cajundome), and I think they have a real good shot of doing it this year.”

Led by Camrynn Lantier, Greta Brown, Elizabeth Miller, and setters Addison Toups and Jaycie Willis, the Bulldogs’ biggest strengths are their versatility and camaraderie.

“They don't fuss, and they don't fight,” Daigle said. “They don't ... get ugly with one another. There are games where we aren’t great or that we don’t play to the best of our ability, and they just find a way to grind through it. They get along well, and they definitely hold each other accountable.”

The Bulldogs enter the postseason playing at a high level, winning 12 of their past 13 matches.

“I would describe my defense as scrappy,” Daigle said. “If everybody's doing their job, they are fun to watch. They'll chase down the ball, run into the wall to go get a ball, and there are times when I have two or three diving on the floor. So, I would say we are very scrappy. These girls ... want to go out there and do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

While they aren’t looking ahead, Daigle said qualifying for the state tournament would benefit the program moving forward.

“It would be an icebreaker for us,” Daigle said. “If we did it, it would be really big for us. If these girls could break that ice, I think it could open it up for the rest of the girls in the next couple years for them."