Once Katy understood that its poor play during the first set of Monday’s Class 6A bi-district playoff game against Dulles was unacceptable, there was nothing the Vikings could do about it.

With service errors, miscommunication and nerves plaguing the first set loss, Katy rallied demonstratively to beat Dulles 3-1 (26-28, 25-10, 25-13, 25-18) on Nov. 4 at the Merrell Center to advance to the area playoffs later this week against Bellaire.

By the time Dulles earned its first point via its own terms in the first set, Katy had already gifted the Vikings nine points through errors. In all, the Tigers committed 16 errors in the first set.

“After that first set, we all came together and realized that that’s not how we play,” sophomore setter Maddie Waak said. “We always play cleaner, and that was sloppy with thru-balls dropping and stuff. Our huddle after that first set helped because we talked and got on the same page.”

From there, it was no contest.

The Tigers adjusted their attack, relying more on outside hitters and the right side instead of running so much of their offense through the middle.

Waak was brilliant setting up hitters all over the place. The LSU verbal commit had 24 assists. Four Tigers had at least eight kills: Waak led the way with 13, junior Perris Key had 11, and senior Skylor Weaver and sophomore Jordan Gamble had eight apiece.

Because of the array of talent at her disposal, coach Karen Paxton has changed lineups liberally throughout the season. That was again the case against Dulles.

Waak got the Tigers’ attack rolling, and Key and Weaver finished it off. In between, junior Hannah Hoover had four aces and senior Karah Parkerson had six kills.

“Our passes and serve-receive are really going right now, so we have a lot of options to run,” Parkerson said.

Hoover added 23 digs, senior libero Maddie Thayer added 20 and Parkerson finished with 17. Defensively, the Tigers took away Dulles’ best outside hitters in freshmen Kylie Mueller and Renata Bolado Cornona.

After that first set, Katy only had nine errors the rest of the way.

“Our team is so talented that we can rely on anybody at any given time,” Paxton said. “That’s what makes this group really special.”

A regional quarterfinalist last season, the Tigers are a team littered with sophomores and juniors. Paxton said the nerves that took place in the first set will happen.

Katy has won seven of its last eight games and is 32-14 overall. The Tigers swept Dulles in the bi-district round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

All stellar accomplishments.

But as the playoffs go on and teams get tougher, Katy will have to play its best from the first serve.

“We’ve battled this year in some really close games, and I think what it comes down to is, mentally, reminding ourselves that we’ve got to finish,” Paxton said. “In tight games and when we get challenged, we have to respond to that challenge.”