Oglethorpe County volleyball coach Brianne Harrison isn’t focusing on the travel in the midst of a five-match road trip.
“I’m honestly just worried about state,” Harrison said. “My goal is to be undefeated in the area.”
The road trip started with a 24-26, 25-12, 25-12, and 25-14 victory at Aquinas in Augusta on Tuesday as the Patriots improved to 15-3 and 5-0 in area play.
It continues when OCHS travels to Washington-Wilkes on Thursday before playing at Social Circle next Tuesday.
Getting past the first round of the playoffs is the common theme this season.
“I keep repeating, ‘Let’s make it past the first round of state,’ and that’s all I ever say,” Harrison said.
The Patriots haven’t been able to get out of the first round, which fuels their motivation to play well in the state playoffs. OCHS was swept 3-0 by Mount Vernon last year.
As for this road trip, the plan remains the same.
“We’re just practicing like normal — we’re not letting up,” Harrison said. “We want to go as far as we want to go. I’m not going to let them be complacent.”
The Patriots work on situational drills that Harrison hopes will translate to the court and prepare them for any situation.
“They’re working hard, and they want it more,” Harrison said. “I’m very competitive, and a lot of the girls are competitive. They know my expectations.”
Harrison said OCHS has weaknesses that must be cleaned up before the state tournament.
“We let balls drop, but we shouldn’t do that,” she said. “When we play teams that aren’t as strong as us, we let things go. It isn’t acceptable, because, if you practice that, then you’re going to do it over and over again.”