Seven Teams Punch Tickets to State Playoffs
2018 Area 5-5A Champions — Chamblee Lady Bulldogs
The No. 2 ranked Chamblee Lady Bulldogs made it a three-peat ass the Area 5-5A volleyball champions with a two-set sweep of Arabia Mountain on Thursday at Chamblee.
Chamblee started the championship match with a 25-8 win with Camille Vanleer putting an end to the first set with a pair of big kills in the final five points of the match including the set ending shot.
Arabia Mountain fell behind by as much as 14 (20-6) in the second set as Erin Carpenter and Hanna Cain making several big plays for the Bulldogs.
The Lady Rams began creeping back into the set behind the play of Ashlyn Carthan who came up with three big blocks at the net as the gap closed to 22-12.
Ava Grace Samford had a big block at the net for Chamblee to make it match point as the Bulldogs closed out the match and set with a 25-12 win.
Chamblee improved to 39-6 on the season with its three wins (Cross Keys, Clarkston, Arabia Mountain) in the tournament giving Coach Lorri Reynolds, the Area 5-5A 2018 Coach of the Year, her highest win total in her 10 years at the helm surpassing the 37-9 season in 2016. It was also the most wins in a season by Chamblee since the 2005 team went 56-8 in reaching the Final Four.
Chamblee’s Jade Watson (2, at left) and Arabia Mountain’s Ashlynn Carthan (right) had some big plays at net for their teams in the championship match. (Photos by Mark Brock)
The Lady Bulldogs host Region 8 No. 4 seed Johnson-Gainesville in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament on Saturday, October 20. The time will be announced later.
Arabia Mountain heads into the state playoffs as the No. 2 seed as Coach Bruce Pfleger’s squad set a new school record for wins with 32 (32-7). The previous high was 22 in 2016. The Lady Rams are set to host Region 8 No. 3 seed Walnut Grove on October 20 with a time to be announced.
The consolation match for the three and four seeds from Area 5-5A featured a big rally by the Clarkston Lady Angoras from down a set to a 2-1 win over the Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers.
Southwest DeKalb won the opening set in a close 25-21 battle. Clarkston (21-16) came out in the second set jumping in front 13-6 and had to hold off the Lady Panthers (24-10).
The gap closed to 24-19 and Southwest staved off four consecutive set points which started with a tip into the open court by Tamyra Hunt. With the score 24-22 in favor of Clarkston, the two teams battled back and forth with Clarkston’s Mang Bor Cin and Sharon Inno-Dike made some big saves before Southwest claimed the point to make it a 24-23 set.
Southwest DeKalb’s Chayce Sanders (far left) makes a return against Clarkston. Clarkston’s Sajourner Thompson (middle) watches as Paw Thaw gets low for a return. (Photos by Mark Brock)
Clarkston’s Anna Said closed out the set victory with a big shot into the right corner to even the match at one set apiece.
Leading 2-1 in the third set, Clarkston reeled off nine consecutive points off the serve of Paw Thaw to take an 11-1 lead. Southwest was able to pull within 16-11, but a block by Inno-Dike and then a nice touch shot into an open court by her helped open the gap to 20-11. Clarkston would win five of the next seven points to claim a 25-13 win the No. 3 seed heading into the state playoffs.
Clarkston travels to Region 8 No. 2 seed Loganville on October 20 and Southwest DeKalb heads to Region 8 champ Buford for first round playoff action. Third-year Head Coach Joie Bullock’s Clarkston squad heads to the state playoffs for the second consecutive season (second overall) with the most wins in program history (21). The previous high for wins was eight in 2013 and 2017.
Chamblee had three players named All-Area in Becca Evans, Hanna Cain and Camille Vanleer. Clarkston’s Paw Thaw and Nel Cing were named along with Southwest DeKalb’s Kennedy Morman and Kendall Davis, Arabia Mountain’s Deja McCleod and Mia Sterling and Miller Grove’s Maya Rembert.
Area 7-7A
The Lakeside Lady Vikings (27-18) knocked off Parkview in a tough five set match to earn the No. 3 seed out of Area 7-7A heading into the Class 7A state playoffs.
Lakeside won the first two sets 25-23 and 25-13 and looked to be cruising only to have Parkview rally to tie the match at two sets apiece with wins of 25-18 and 27-25 in the hard fought match.
The final set went to Lakeside 15-11 as the victory was fueled by 21 kills by Sairah Hyman, 35 assists and 18 digs by Ruby Reich and 21 digs by Gabby Goeslin.
Hyman and Zoe Skeeling were named First Team All-Area players while Goeslin and Reich earned Second Team All-Area honors.
Lakeside heads to Mill Creek (33-13), the Area 6-7A runner-up for the first round of the Class 7A state playoffs on October 20. Mill Creek owns a tight two-set win over Lakeside this season.
Area 7-6A
The Dunwoody Lady Wildcats earned a trip to the Class 6A state playoffs as the No. 3 seed from Area 7-6A following their performance on Thursday night.
Dunwoody defeated Centennial and Chattahoochee to move into a match against Pope for a chance to earn a home match in the first round. Pope held off the Lady Wildcats (24-19) to reach the finals.
Dunwoody goes on the road to face the No. 2 seed from Area 6-6A on October 20. The opponent and time have yet to be determined.
Area 4-4A
Druid Hills (18-16) took a step closer to the Class 4A state playoffs with a 25-16, 25-19 sweep of North Clayton in first round play of the Area 4-4A tournament at Eastside on Thursday.
Druid Hills faces Woodward Academy in second round action on Saturday at Eastside.
Class 3A
Redan (20-14) advanced as the No. 3 seed from Area 2-3A and advanced to the Class 3A state playoffs with a trip to the No. seed from Area 3-3A on October 20. The opponent and time have yet to be determined.
Class 2A
McNair was eliminated from the Area 5-2A tournament last week to end the Lady Mustangs season. Junior Nicera Gantt was named to the All-Area team.