Super season for McIntosh volleyball ends at state tourney

The McIntosh Lady Chiefs volleyball team entered the state tournament last weekend as area champions, undefeated in area play, and state-ranked. In the first round of state competition, a team needed two victories before losing twice to ensure advancing to the Elite Eight round this weekend.

McIntosh drew Redan in their first contest. The Chiefs started strong, with great serving performances by Allison Cheatham, Lisa Watkins, and Megan Bartels, who served up four aces in seven serves to take the first game, 15-1. In game two, Redan found their spark and put up a challenge, drawing to 8-7 before McIntosh turned the game around with exceptional blocking by Bartels and Jenny Dunn. Alice Lowery and Whitney Wallis served out the match with seven straight points to win 15-7.

Needing one more win to advance to the top eight in the state, the Chiefs faced South Gwinnett. This game was also highlighted by strong serving. After McIntosh moved ahead 6-5, the Chiefs ran away from the Gwinnett school, winning 15-5. Cheatham and Natalie Crowley had six aces between them, and Bartels and Watkins produced strong kills.

Game two found the McIntosh ladies suddenly missing attack shots and passes that seemed routine in the earlier games, and fell behind 8-2. Dunn then stepped up her game and produced exceptional blocks and kills at the net to pull the Chiefs back into the game. They fought all the way back to 12-13, when South Gwinnett refused to yield, and emerged with a 15-12 win. McIntosh began to falter in game three. The passing and setting suffered, and South Gwinnett took advantage with strong net play and hustling defensive work to run away with the match, 15-5.

Next up for the Chiefs was Pope High School in a "win or go home" match for both schools. McIntosh started well, moving to a 4-2 lead on Tara Hamilton serves and Bartels kills. They kept the advantage, playing hard, with a nice run of serves by Marci Nessing to run the score to 10-7. At this point, Pope began to assert themselves, aided by too many failed passes by the Chiefs, and took the game, 15-11. McIntosh ran out of gas in the second game, and could never mount an attack throughout the game, and fell short, 15-3, game, match, season.

While Coach Taasha Moore's Lady Chiefs came up one game short of reaching their goal of the state's Elite Eight, the season was a great success. They finished with 32 wins, the highest total in school history, and regained area champion status with an undefeated run through area schools.

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