Hebron defeated Wesleyan (25-20, 25-7), Buford (25-21, 25-20) and Norcross in Saturday’s bracket play to take home the trophy. The No. 4 state-ranked Lions (37-2) defeated all three opponents in straight sets, and did not drop a set the entire tournament after breezing through pool play on Thursday.
“Super pleased and proud of our team,” Hebron head coach Taylor Davis said. “We were able to win it last year. It is never assumed. I knew we had a strong team again this year, but the ability to prove that we were capable, and strive to be the best versions of ourselves. These girls put in a ton of work, and to be able to reflect on today and win another one, I’m beyond proud of our girls.”
The first set of the championship match started with Hebron picking up two aces in its first five points. The Lions got off to a 6-1 start, and they led 14-7 about halfway through the opening set. Norcross had a little 3-0 run to inch it a little closer, but junior Ashley Troxell killed the ball left and right all day. In the three matches Hebron played on the day, Troxell had 31 kills, which led Hebron. Hebron ended the set on a 7-3 run, which saw it take the all-important first set 25-17. Troxell also had six aces in the three matches.
The second set was a completely different story. The Blue Devils came out and showed they were going to compete by leading 8-4 to start the set. However, the Lions responded with a 5-2 run of their own to bring it to 12-10. A few points later, it was 14-14, Davis called a timeout to slow his team down, and it paid off in a big way. Hebron completely found its rhythm after that, and rallied the rest of the set by going on an 11-5 run to close out the match and win the championship.
“So we always just try to simplify things,” Davis said of the crucial timeout. “When we get in that stretch of them going on a run, it’s just the basics. It’s a game to one, and then we can reset and it is a game of momentum so we see those flows of one way or another to be able to pause someone’s rhythm, and get back into our game plan.”
Junior Jade Howard also had a nice day, recording 15 kills.
The volleyball season is winding down, and Hebron has just three matches left before the state playoffs. The reigning Private School state champions will certainly be a big threat... Click here to read full article
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