They came, they played, they conquered: Lady Warrior volleyball state champs after defeating North Gwinnett
Senior Simone Maxwell spikes a ball toward North Gwinnett as sophomore Jenna Woodruff, number 2, watches.
November 5, 2014
In a five set thriller, the North Cobb Lady Warriors volleyball team captured their first state title after defeating the North Gwinnett Lady Bulldogs 25-21, 24-26, 18-25, 25-13, 15-9 on Saturday, November 1.
“I never thought in a million years that we would make it this far. I am excited we made it with the team we had,” senior outside hitter Abby Miller, who finished the game with 10 kills and 22 digs, said.
The Lady Warriors last loss came on October 11 against Harrison in the area tournament before playoffs began. Junior setter Taylor Parrish recorded 51 assists in an efficient offensive night for the Lady Warriors.
Senior Elizabeth Daniel, number 7, gets ready to spike the ball passed by junior Taylor Parrish (left) while Savannah Gonzales, number 4, watches on.
“From the area championship until now was definitely a Cinderella story. We were as low as we could be after getting dominated by Harrison. A lot of girls were questioning because Walton would meet us in the second round,” head coach James Auld said regarding the Lady Warriors’ playoff odds.
In the deciding fifth set of the GHSA State championship match, the Lady Warriors proved their endurance and community as the key components to their title run. Senior libero Christina Matacotta recorded 39 digs and kept the Warriors in the set with diving one handed digs. The Lady Warriors found themselves down 2-5 in the fifth set, but quickly took control of their faith with their seniors swinging at will. Senior outside hitters Savanna Gonzales and Abby Miller combined for eight kills in the final set, and senior right-side hitter Simone Maxwell showed her left handed abilities by racking up two kills. An assortment of North Gwinnett errors aided NC in its fifth set run, with North Gwinnett players hitting balls out of bounds and into the net, which contributed to three of NC’s points.
NC’s aggressive service game proved pivotal in knocking off the Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Warriors tallied 14 aces with only two serving errors in the entire match, showing why Auld stresses efficient and accurate serving. Gonzales and sophomore defensive specialist Katelynn Riner each hurt the Lady Bulldogs with aces in the last set, and the Lady Warriors won by a significant margin 15-9 to capture the state title.
The Lady Warriors felt the pressure at the beginning of the fourth set, and answered all the critics with a beautiful performance under heavy scrutiny. Gonzales showed her ability to rise up and carry a team in the fourth set. She first struck down an emphatic kill through the block for the first point of the set, then served two aces, and added two more kills for an early 8-3 lead. The Lady Warrior service game accounted for five NC points. Miller, Riner, and Matacotta picked apart the Lady Bulldog defense, all tallying aces in the fourth set. The Lady Warriors proceeded to do what they did against Walton: stack the net with versatile hitters. This proved beneficial to the Warriors as their hitters blew out the Lady Bulldogs 25-13 in the fourth set. Miller held her own with four points, and kept NC on their streak with a game-changing dig that almost hit the ceiling.
“It was the best possible way to end your senior season. The emotion on the court was insane because of the pressure. We knew North Gwinnett would not back down. It came down to who wanted it more,” Gonzales said.
With the third set deadlocked at 18-18, the Lady Bulldogs stole the set on a 7-0 run which lead to their win, 25-18. The third set remained tight until the waning moments when the Lady Warriors had no answer for the Lady Bulldogs top hitter.
The crowd went wild when the Lady Warriors were pronounced the victors. Fans who had stuck with the team throughout the long journey to State crowded the team and cheered.
Although North Gwinnett’s two set wins relied solely on their two hitters, the Lady Warriors sought better strategies in their victory by spreading out their points and lining their several hitters along the net. This proved crucial in NC’s first set win where they beat the Lady Bulldogs with an effective striking mentality.
NC held a handle on the first set, leading all the way until North Gwinnett broke off a run of their own, propelling them ahead 12-16. Aggressive serving from Matacotta and swinging from Gonzales and Maxwell, and sophomore middle Jenna Woodruff jumped the Warriors to an early 4-0 lead. Their Lady Warriors’ serving showed its benefits once again as Gonzales, who recorded five aces in the match, ripped off two straight aces to trim the lead. Then kills from Maxwell and Gonzales, plus a North Gwinnett violation tied the game at 17-17.
The Lady Warriors spread their points out perfectly in the final moments of the set, receiving kills from junior middle Lizzy Daniel, Miller, Maxwell, Parrish, Gonzales and a Matacotta ace to finish the Lady Bulldogs’ first set hopes and the Lady Warriors won 25-21.
NC accomplished what no one thought possible and relished in the first championship for the school since 1983. Overcoming all odds, being down 2-1 going into the fourth set, the Lady Warriors volleyball team once again stood tall and overcame their obstacles to become state champions.
