Warren Central will do something on Tuesday it’s never done before — play in a volleyball playoff game. The Lady Vikes will head to north Mississippi to face DeSoto Central in a Class III first-round game at 5:30 p.m.

The Lady Vikes clinched the playoff berth back in September in a four game battle against Callaway, however, it was also their last win of the season. Since then, they’ve had tough matchups against Germantown, Brandon and St. Andrew’s before dropping a doubleheader against Northwest Rankin.

Coach Matt Gullett said he scheduled the last four games of the season to toughen his team for the postseason.

“Teams like Northwest, St. Andrew’s, Brandon and Clinton are constantly in the playoffs each year. You’ve got to be able to compete against those teams and got to be able to beat those teams so that when you get into the playoffs you’re going to know who you’re playing,” Gullett said. “It’s raising the level of our program.”

After their regular-season finale against Northwest Rankin, he added that the team planned to work on serve reception and their blocking formations.

“We know we’re going to see a team with some good servers,” Gullett said. “We have to work on some of our block formations. We’re getting a little too tight on our blocking formations and leaving too much area open in the back.”

DeSoto Central ended its season with 1,077 kills, averaging a little more than 11 per set. The Jaguars are also a good serving team, with 308 aces on the season, and have defended well with 150 total blocks.

Desoto Central has a 27-6-1 record and won the Class III, Region 1 championship.

“A lot of their girls play club ball up in Memphis. They play a lot of teams from Memphis on their schedule and Memphis is a big volleyball town,” Gullett said. “We’re still young as a program.”

The Lady Vikes (12-14) will also work on getting the ball to setters Elizabeth Boyd and Kylie McMaster. Gullett noticed in the final two games against Northwest Rankin that they had problems getting the ball to the setter, which kept them from attacking the way they did in the first two games.

Warren Central does have some positives they’ll bring into the game, including its front and back row defense, which has improved throughout season.

“They’re fast, they’re quick, they can block, but we’re getting beat on some things,” Gullett said. “We’re working on it in practice and we just have to keep working to get the memory down. “

Another aspect the Lady Vikes do well on is their ability to attack at the net. With the power and ability from Kayla Mayfield, Aquarius Crook, Jereka Willis and Carisha London, Gullett has been proud of their effort on the court.

“We’re a team that’s built on hustle and not afraid to put dents in the ground,” Gullett said. “We’ve been putting hitters like Kayla and Carley (Pitzer) to make the blockers block and forcing the back row.”

MHSAA Class III volleyball playoffs

Warren Central at DeSoto Central

Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.