The Oglethorpe County Lady Patriots made history by advancing to the Class A state championship game for volleyball, their first-ever appearance.
The Oglethorpe County volleyball team will play for the Class A title at noon Wednesday.
The third-seeded Patriots (31-8), who have won 20 matches in a row, will face Bremen, which is the No. 1 seed in the tournament and is 36-7. The match is at the LakePoint Sports Center in Cartersville.
“I’m still kind of in shock that we have made it this far, only because it’s a huge deal,” OCHS coach Brianne Harrison said. “I’m very proud of how my team has worked this year and gotten better.”
The Patriots advanced with a 3-1 victory over second-seeded Gordon Lee on Saturday.
Sophomore Leanna Newton said she has a lot of nerves, but feels ready for the challenge.
“I’m very, very nervous,” she said. “Even Saturday, when we played, I was telling my best friend Elizabeth (Cook), ‘I’m so nervous for this, because this could be the end of it.’ But going into the state championship, I’m proud of us, I’m proud of myself, and I’m proud of everyone. I know we have a great chance, and I have faith in us.”
The Patriots reached the Elite Eight last year, but lost to Elite Scholars, the eventual state champion. This is their first time in the state title match.
Senior outside hitter Elizabeth Cook described the Patriots as “hard-working, determined and disciplined.” The biggest factor in the team’s success, though, has been the sense of sisterhood.
“It’s like we’re a family out there. And I think that’s what makes us a better team than other teams, because it makes us stronger,” Newton said. “We trust each other a lot.”