NEW HOPE — There’s no such thing as a ‘gimme’ win, but Tuesday night’s first round playoff match for New Hope was as close to one as you can get.

The Trojans, ready to start what they hope will be another lengthy stay in the postseason, dominated Canton from the opening serve.

New Hope errors were the only thing that kept an overmatched and overpowered Canton in the game as the Trojans advanced to the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A playoffs with a straight-set win, 25-8, 25-7, 25-15.

“I think that we played well,” New Hope head coach Allison Woolbright said. “We didn’t play with the intensity that we played against Caledonia last week for sure, but we played well and got the win.”

Tuesday showcased what the Trojans (22-18) do best, with great attacks from outside hitters Megan Neeb and De’Arieal Williams, and complimentary play from both the front and back lines.

It was an opportunity for Woolbright to empty the bench, getting junior-varsity players much-needed postseason experience for the future while the starters got a rest.

“That third set, we put in some of our JV players that have been pulled up to travel with us,” Woolbright said. “They did well and in the end, we won. That’s what matters most because we get to move on.”

The serve-and-pass game was shaky at times on Tuesday as New Hope tried to combat a rather chaotic style of play from Canton, but the Trojans improved their execution as the match wore on.

A key point of success was the service line, where a number of Trojans recorded numerous aces during the match, stymying the Tigers, who looked defenseless against a superior opponent.

“We didn’t play our best, but we’re still working on some things,” sophomore Lexi McBrayer said. “We’re getting there. … It gives us a boost of confidence because you’re starting the playoffs out with a statement win.”

New Hope will have to turn things around quickly as the second round is set for Thursday night, a road match against Corinth, the No. 4 seed out of District 2 who upset Cleveland Central in straight sets on Tuesday.

There’s not much time to reset, but New Hope seems to be peaking at the right time, going 4-2 in its last six matches, including a straight-set home win over the Warriors.

“We’re just going to continue to work on the things we’ve been working on: coverage, putting the ball down, playing our game, serving,” Woolbright said. “Nothing is going to change from yesterday or last week. We’re going to keep working just as hard as we have been.”