Habersham Central High School’s varsity volleyball team made history Saturday as it defeated Effingham County High School in four sets to advance to the Elite Eight round of the Georgia High School Association’s Class 5A state playoffs for the first time in program history.
The Lady Raiders (28-12) will travel to play Sequoyah High School at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Canton as they continue their quest for a state championship.
“It’s a really emotional thing to experience being with a program for 18 years and coming close to the playoffs multiple times and Sweet 16 not very often. This is a first, I think, for anybody in a long time for our school,” HCHS Head Coach Lindsay Herrin said. “I’m proud to be a Raider and proud of the girls and super emotional about it all.”
Set 1 & 2
HCHS looked to be on the path to a straight-sets victory after taking the first two 25-23 and 25-14.
The Lady Raiders opened the day by getting behind the eight ball and spotting Effingham County the first three points. But, for Herrin, there was no need to panic. She’s seen that story play out many times this season.
“They just needed to settle down. The nerves were getting the best of them and once they settled in, I knew we’d be fine,” Herrin said. “That’s not anything new. That’s happened all season long. I don’t like starting that way because you have to work so much harder and claw your way out.”
In the second set, there were very few spots, if any, that the Lady Raiders didn’t look in control of the situation.
Set 3
Then, the third set was up and down, at best, for the home team. After taking a 6-1 lead early, HCHS allowed Effingham County to go on a 10-point run and lead the set 11-6.
Later, the Lady Rebels had a 24-16 lead in the set and HCHS made a push, but ultimately lost it 20-25.
Herrin said she could see the runs from Effingham County coming because her team wasn’t playing as loose as they were in the first two sets. Instead of playing to close out the match, the Lady Raiders were trying not to lose the set, which they eventually did.
“I saw it in the girls. They were tensing up and they were playing tight,” Herrin said. “Instead of playing to win, they were playing to keep from losing. It’s just one of those things…you’ve just got to ride that wave.”
It was almost as if the Lady Raiders were in a place of complacency and expecting to win with the way they handled the first two sets, an assessment Herrin agreed with.
Set 4
Late in the third set, there was a time out called and Herrin used it as a chance to challenge her team in how they were going to finish the set.
“It would have been very easy to just give up and say, ‘Alright, we’re done. Let’s just move on to the next set.’ They didn’t do that,” she said. “That’s what I told them in the last time out that was called, ‘Number 1, don’t lay down. Number 2, let’s end this on a high note to carry that over into the fourth set.’”
The Lady Raiders did just that by getting the four straight points to get back to 24-20 before Effingham County closed out the set.
Then, in the final set of the afternoon, HCHS didn’t let the visitors breathe.
The Lady Raiders lost the first point. But they went on an 8-0 run to answer.
Matter of fact, they put on a masterclass in closing out a playoff match and took a 25-8 set to solidify their spot in the Elite Eight.
“The fact they responded the way they did in the fourth set and came out and never looked back… we turned the jets on,” Herrin said. “The final score was 25-8, I mean, come on. After losing the third set, then coming out in the fourth set and being able to do that, it speaks volumes to their mental toughness and what they’re capable of doing.”
Numbers don’t lie
The Lady Raiders were efficient Saturday.
Four players with double-digit serve attempts finished the game with a 100 percent serve percentage. Maci Williams had 28 attempts and two aces. Laci Fitzgerald had 19 attempts and an ace. Kinslee Hicks and Kenzie King each had 14 attempts and an ace.
Ava Saxon and Jayden Jarrett were strong at the net, totaling 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Callyn Chosewood had eight, Fitzgerald and King both had five, and Hicks had two.
King led the group in total blocks with eight, while Jarrett had four, Chosewood had three, and Hicks, Saxon and Fitzgerald each had two.
Fitzgerald turned her 112 assist attempts into 32 assists on the day, by far leading the team in the category.
Rainlan Hobson picked out 18 digs throughout the match. Fitzgerald, Saxon and Maci Williams each had 15.
As a team, the Lady Raiders only committed one ball-handling error.
Moving on
Next, the Lady Raiders will play Sequoyah on the road on Wednesday. Herrin said the prep time for that match will resemble what they’re already doing.
The head coach said she’s also challenging her team to view the Elite Eight as they have these first two rounds – it’s an opportunity.
“Think about how many teams in the state aren’t playing anymore. This is an opportunity for them to play together again,” Herrin said. “They need to live in the moment and enjoy it and know that every night they gave it their all. Then, regardless of the outcome, they can walk away with their heads held high knowing they left everything they had mentally, physically, emotionally, and verbally out on the court.”
First serve between the Lady Raiders and Lady Chiefs will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Canton.
