Volleyball Game Preview: Howe Bulldogs vs. Tioga Bulldogs

Howe will head out on the road to challenge Tioga at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Howe can't be too happy about their upcoming road game considering what happened when they opened their season away from home on Tuesday. They fell just short of Grayson Christian by a score of 3-2. While the Bulldogs didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating Grayson Christian 25-14 in the first set.

Howe started the match hot and won the first two sets, but they struggled down the stretch and lost the last three. The final score came out to 14-25, 28-30, 25-18, 25-20, 15-9.

Meanwhile, Tioga was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss dating back to last season. They were a single set away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Bells. While the Bulldogs didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Panthers 25-20 in the first set.

While Tioga ultimately came up short, they really made Bells work, particularly in the second set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 20-25, 27-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7.

Howe came out on top in a nail-biter against Tioga when the teams last played back in September of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Howe since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.