Lady Dogies end 47-year drought

For the first time since a second-place finish in 1977, a Newcastle High School volleyball team has claimed a trophy at the state tournament.

It was obvious from the start of last weekend’s culminating event that the Lady Dogies weren’t content to simply make a return appearance in Casper for the first time in three years. They had last attended the big dance in 2022 and could have easily just enjoyed being part of the season finale, but Newcastle clearly came to compete, and they proved it with a thrilling four-match run at the Ford Wyoming Center that ended with a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A State Volleyball Tournament.

“Overall, the girls played amazing this weekend,” head coach Mickey Crabtree said. “I still can’t believe we placed fourth at state! The girls worked so hard all three days. They showed some amazing determination with some nail-biting five-set matches that kept everyone on their toes.”

Newcastle opened the tournament Thursday against Lovell, the eventual state champion and No. 2 seed from the West. The Dogies came out strong, taking the opening set 25-22 before the Bulldogs answered by sweeping the next three, 25-18, 25-17, 25-14.

The Lady Dogies bounced back in dramatic fashion Friday afternoon, stunning Worland in a rare “reverse sweep” — rallying from two sets down to win 21-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25–11. The comeback victory kept Newcastle’s season alive and set the tone for a truly memorable weekend.

The next morning, the Dogies delivered another thriller, avenging their regional semifinal loss to Torrington with a five-set victory that featured one of the most intense sets of the entire tournament. Newcastle dropped two of the first three sets but clawed their way back with a marathon 30-28 fourth-set win before closing out the match 15-9 in the fifth (25-18, 24-26, 22-25, 30-28, 15-9).

“The girls’ confidence really shined through this weekend,” Crabtree said. “They got the opportunity to show everyone how hard they’ve worked this season for this moment.”

With a trophy guaranteed, the Dogies returned to the court Saturday afternoon for the third-place match against Douglas. The Bearcats — who had been upset by Lovell in the semifinals — took out their frustration in a straight-set win, 25-17, 25-14, 25-17, to claim third.

Douglas came into the tournament as one of the favorites to win it all and did not drop a single one of the six sets they played on Saturday after being upset by Lovell on Friday night.

The fourth-place finish capped a season of steady growth and milestones. In addition to their historic team achievement, the four Dogies reached major individual marks this fall.

“Adalyn Olson reached 1,000 digs at State, which is another amazing accomplishment for her this season,” Crabtree said. The achievement came on the heels of Sydney Pederson reaching 1,000 digs at regionals and Delainey Dresen reaching 1,000 digs during the team’s last regular season game. Kyndal Von Eye reached 1,000 assists in the final week of the regular season as well.

“I am so beyond proud of each and every one of the girls on this team and the legacy that they left on this 2025 season,” Crabtree said.

Dogie State Tournament Results

Quarterfinals: Lovell def. Newcastle, 22-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-14
Consolation Semifinal: Newcastle def. Worland, 21-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-11
Consolation Final: Newcastle def. Torrington, 25-18, 24-26, 22-25, 30-28, 15-9
Third-Place Match: Douglas def. Newcastle, 25-17, 25-14, 25-17

Sidebar: Since ’77

The Dogies’ second-place finish in 1977 stood as the program’s best result for nearly five decades. The 2025 team’s fourth-place run in Casper marked the first time since then that Newcastle volleyball brought home hardware from the state tournament.

The fourth-place finish represents a major breakthrough for Newcastle volleyball, which has fought for years to reestablish itself among Wyoming’s elite programs. After a long postseason drought, the Dogies made three straight state tournament appearances from 2012 to 2014 but won only two matches total and didn’t reach a trophy round. They only qualified for state once between 2014 and 2022.

1977 Class A Final Standings:

1. Greybull

2. Newcastle

3. Kemmerer

4. Consolation: Torrington