Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge players celebrate a point on Tuesday night against Perry in a Class 4A regional quarterfinal. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The drought is over.

The Fort Dodge volleyball team ended a 14-year postseason dry spell here on Tuesday night, knocking off Perry in a Class 4A regional quarterfinal contest.

The Dodgers (20-13 overall) dominated Perry (11-25) in straight sets, winning 25-16, 25-19 and 25-10.

Fort Dodge’s last playoff victory was in 2009, when it ousted Mason City in straight sets.

The Dodgers also tied their most wins in a season since going 20-11 in that same campaign. Fort Dodge had suffered through 13 consecutive losing seasons before this year.

“Regardless of what has happened (in the past), it’s great for our program to host a postseason match for the first time in a long time,” said FDSH head coach Lexi Astor, a former Dodger standout who also played at the University of Northern Iowa. “This team has had to learn how to win when it’s expected.

“We just have to keep playing the way we can and up to our potential.”

Fort Dodge got off to a quick start and dominated the opening set, building a 16-8 lead before the advantage eventually ballooned to 21-8.

Sophomore LJ Maehl, who had nine kills on the evening, had four in that set, including three in the first five-point stretch.

“After a tough weekend tournament (last Saturday), it’s important to get that out of your system,” Astor said. “It carried over a little, but we have to learn to put that away, have fun and move on.

“Sometimes we in our own heads a little, which is only natural.”

The second set was a little tighter, and the Jayettes had the score knotted at 13 after going on a 7-1 run to take an 8-7 advantage, which was their first of only two leads for Perry on the evening.

After the scare, the Dodgers put together a 9-0 surge to take a 21-13 advantage, led by the serving of Meah McCaleb. The Dodger junior finished the night serving 18-for-20 with six aces.

“Volleyball is a huge momentum sport,” Astor said. “We have been focusing on the right level of communication and creating our own energy.

“We have to use our emotions to get ourselves and the crowd going in the right direction.”

In the deciding third set, it was all Fort Dodge. From the first serve, the Dodgers took a 16-3 lead and built a 21-6 edge before closing the Jayettes out.

Senior Mackenzie McIlrath led the Dodgers in kills with 10, while junior Lucy Porter tallied six.

Maehl and junior Cadence Touney had four and three blocks, respectively.

Senior Macy Brown was perfect in 14 tries from the service line with one ace. Brown contributed 10 digs.

Seniors Liv Totten and Sydney Gebers paced Fort Dodge with 22 and five assists, respectively.

The Dodgers now face 13th-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes on the road on Thursday. First serve in the 4A regional semifinal is set for 7 p.m.

“We play really well when our middle is connecting,” Astor said. “Our passing has to be executed in order to hit our targets.

“The girls are showing confidence. Moving forward, we will need that.”