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NEDERLAND — Although the Nederland volleyball team fell 3-0 to Friendswood in the first round of the playoffs this week, Head Coach Allie Crommett said the team has no reason to hang their heads.

The Bulldogs recorded a 30-13 record for the season, marking the most wins the program has earned since 2006.

“I just reminded them that they accomplished so much in the season that a lot of teams prior to them hadn’t been able to do,” Crommett said. “I told them I was proud of them. Hopefully it was something the underclassmen can build off of and the seniors left their mark and set the standard for the program.”

Audrey Johnson, Sydney Nelson, Ava Wiltz and Ava Whitehead were the only seniors on an otherwise young team. The coach said she appreciated the leadership and energy the group brought every day.

“They are very entertaining class,” Crommett said. “There is never a dull moment with them. I feel like they have been some workhorses. They have come every day and never questioned what we were doing. If we were having a conditioning day or tried a new drill or change the line up a bit, it was never questioned. They just did what needed to be done for the team to be the most successful.”

The season did not get off to a smooth start. Nederland opened the season 1-7 due to some tough tournament competition and a string of injuries and illnesses. That didn’t stop the team’s determination.

The Bulldogs went on to win eight games to bring their record to 9-7. Nederland went 11-3 in district play with their only losses coming to Barbers Hill and Baytown Sterling.

Among the accomplishments, the Bulldogs were able to sweep rival PNG and upset the top team in the state in the final match of the season against Barbers Hill at home.

Crommett said she hopes the younger players can carry some of the momentum into next season.

“We had seven sophomores this season,” she said. “I feel like every kid played a lot of selfless volleyball. They went in with a mindset of knowing their role for the game. If they were coming off the bench, they wanted to come in and be the best server they could be. They moved sides because it helped the team. I hope the selflessness continues. It wasn’t about the stats for them.”