Gordon Lee’s Julianna Spradlin (23) spikes the ball towards Chattooga’s Anna Krueger (13) and Kim Hanby Tuesday at Gordon Lee High School in Chickamauga, Ga.Although the match was against an opponent her team knew well, first-year Gordon Lee volleyball coach Tricia Goodwin said she thought her players were a little nervous Tuesday at the start of the Lady Trojans’ postseason opener. But the jitters didn’t last long.
Gordon Lee quickly “settled into what we do,” the coach said, and defeated Chattooga 3-0 in the GHSA Class AA state-tournament championship bracket. Set scores were 25-15, 25-8, 25-9.
Gordon Lee (31-6-2) will play Wesleyan in the next round Saturday, when they won’t be able to afford to show any nerves.
“It’s going to be a whole ‘nother level of play,” Goodwin said. “It will be a faster-pace game — a lot more hitting and blocking. We’re going to have to play good defense and stick to what we know.”
Once the Lady Trojans got past the early stages of the first set against the Lady Indians, they managed to cruise to victory against their fellow Area 6 opponent — an at-large playoff team the league champions beat in both conference matches during the regular season.