The East Texas Volleyball Juniors League held its championship tournament Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Mineola High School gym, bringing together 21 teams for a full day of competition.
The season began with 36 teams representing Alba, Quitman, Lone Oak, Grand Saline and Mineola. Twenty-one teams qualified for the championship tournament, which ran from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. First- and second-place teams were awarded championship rings.
In the first- and second-grade division, Mineola-Sipe captured the championship, with the Quitman Lady Dawgs finishing second.
Mineola-Crenshaw won the third- and fourth-grade championship, while the Quitman Lady Dawgs claimed second place.
In the fifth- and sixth-grade Silver division, Quitman-Set Apart finished as champion, with the Quitman Lady Dawgs taking second.
Lone Oak-Thornton won the fifth- and sixth-grade Gold division championship, followed by Mineola-Forsyth in second place.
Mineola Juniors Volleyball Commissioner Hope Forsyth said the league has experienced significant growth over the past several years.
“Our league has seen incredible growth over the past four years. This season we had 36 teams competing. It was so rewarding to watch our athletes develop not only their skills, but also their confidence and teamwork,” Forsyth said.
Forsyth said many of the skills the young athletes are learning traditionally would not be introduced until junior high. She said watching players develop those skills at a younger age has been exciting.
Watching the growth of both the players and teams has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the league, Forsyth said.