PROVO — The Provo Bulldogs entered the Region 7 season with goals of taking home a region title. But that goal isn't going to be easy to achieve.

Even though the Bulldogs eased past Timpanogos in straight games 25-9, 25-17, 28-26, the road to a region championship is not going to be a smooth one.

The Bulldogs took control early in the first game and played throughout that segment without much of a blip, showing themselves to be tough contenders. But then came the second game. The Timberwolves took a nice lead through the first half of that set on the back of myriad Provo errors as the Bulldogs seemed to be shooting themselves in the foot all along the way, in addition to Timpanogos' improved play.

But midway through as the T-Wolves led 14-10, the Bulldogs finally put things together, stopped making the silly mistakes and took control in the game, tying things up at 14 apiece and then taking another seven straight points to make the score 21-14 after an 11-point run.

"We played really hard. The way the game unfolded, it's almost like we play to the level of the competition," said Sheliah Saluone, the Bulldogs' setter and a team captain.

But despite the Bulldogs' tendency to play an up and down game, Saluone has a strong belief in Provo's chances because the team has great chemistry, and she thinks the girls can learn to not become complacent as the season goes on.

After finishing things off strong in Game 2, the Bulldogs had their hands full in Game 3 as Timpanogos hung with them through seven ties after the Bulldogs took a huge early 10-1 lead. The Timberwolves' scrappy play, along with some mental errors by the Bulldogs, gave Timpanogos a chance to get back in it and even achieve two game points at 25-24 and 26-25 before Provo finally pulled things together and put down three straight kills to end the match with the sweep.

"That kind of play usually isn't a problem for us, but when it is the other team scores off our mistakes," said Jenessa Cherry, the team's libero, who picked up a nice kill from the back row in addition to her many digs.

The Bulldogs were led by Alex Costello with 10 kills, but the entire team was really balanced in the offensive department as Kelsi Koop finished with eight kills, Tatianna Mickiewicz added six kills and McKensie Payton added five.

Koop added four service aces, and Cherry and Mickiewicz each shot down three aces in the match, despite the Bulldogs' eight service errors in the final game.

Timpanogos was led by the net services of Brittany Peterson, who put down five solo blocks in addition to her three kills. Sharissa Neilsen added three kills of her own.

Next up for the Bulldogs is perhaps the team's toughest competition in the region in the Lehi Pioneers