Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEDERLAND — The goal of any sports team is to play its best heading into the playoffs.

The Nederland volleyball team seems to be doing just that as the Bulldogs upset the No. 1 ranked 5A team in the state to close out the regular season.

The Bulldogs (29-12) defeated Barbers Hill (38-6) 3-1, handing the Eagles their only loss in district play.

The win, which tied the program’s best record since 2014, also gave Nederland the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

The Bulldogs play Friendswood at Goose Creek Memorial High School at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to open the playoffs.

“Going into the game, we just drilled sticking to the game plan,” Nederland Head Coach Allie Crommett said of her team’s win over Barbers Hill. “They stuck to their guns and executed what we asked pretty well. Even after they made some adjustments, they stuck to our goal.”

The win was the sixth consecutive victory for the Bulldogs, who are one win away from having the most victories in a season since 2006.

“Last night, my assistant coach and I were talking about how this is probably the best volleyball they have played to date,” Crommett said. “In Set 4, we were down and they didn’t let up. We called a timeout and told them to take it one point at a time. I was not worried about getting to 25. They stuck to that until it was 26-24.”

Crommett said reaching second place in the district sets up for a playoff run.

“Once you lock in a playoff spot, you can relax a little bit,” Crommett said. “You just play to play. I feel like they held on to that mentality.”

The coach said Goose Creek Memorial has plenty of size and athleticism.

“They seem to be a lot younger than they have been in the past,” she said. “I think we match up well with them. I think it will come down to who is ready to go come game time. I think as far as who we could match up against, this would’ve been the best matchup for us, as far as going further in the playoffs.”

The Bulldogs play Little Cypress-Mauriceville in a warm-up game at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Dog Dome.