MORGAN COUNTY
After dominating the competition in its first two postseason matches, the Morgan County volleyball team is back in the GHSA Class 3A Elite Eight.
The Spike Dogs are the reigning champions of the classification and have proven why – defeating Thomasville and St. Vincent in straight sets during the first two rounds.
After being crowned region champions a few weeks ago, Morgan County head coach Kat Goodwin told the Lake Oconee News that the team immediately went into playoff mode and are excited for another run at the title.
“You can feel the tone shift because when JV gets done and the girls come back from fall break, it’s all business,” Goodwin said. “We’ve been getting a lot more reps in the gym, watching a lot more film than we do during the regular season, and preparing for these tougher matches by figuring out the holes we see in our play.”
The Spike Dogs only returned about half of the same starting lineup as last year’s state championship squad, so other players have had to step up in their place.
The sophomore trio of Abby Dennard, E’mariona Johnson, and Camryn Scherer have stepped up for Goodwin and the rest of the team, playing important minutes over the last couple of weeks.
Dennard is currently second on the team in kills per set and has helped out at the net and with her serve. Scherer leads the team in digs as the team’s main libero, and Johnson has been stout at the net with 27 blocks – the second most on the team.
Mix that with consistent play from Morgan County’s upperclassmen and the Spike Dogs have another powerful lineup. Goodwin attributed all the girls’ performances to this playoff run.
“Quinn [Butler] has played outstanding so far. She had some crazy amount of kills against St. Vincent last round,” Goodwin said. “She was on fire, making very few mistakes, and helped lead the team to a win. Chloe Burns has been rock-solid at the net as a hitter and blocker, and her serves are like bullets. You can tell there are some playoff jitters for some of our newer girls, but girls like Camryn Scherer, E’mariona Johnson, and Abby Dennard have come into their own and helped us out this postseason, as well.”
On top of that, Spike Dogs’ outside hitter Haedyn Crumbley is back out on the court after a knee injury sidelined her for most of the season.
Crumbley was the team’s leader in kills and hitting percentage last season, and Goodwin acknowledged how important it has been for everyone to have her back out there.
“First and foremost, I thought people were going to be upset, because [Crumbley] coming back might mean other girls lose some playtime, but it’s been the exact opposite,” Goodwin said. “It’s been such a moral victory for the team to have her back out there in her rightful place alongside her teammates. It’s hard to quantify what a player like Haedyn does for the team’s confidence. She’s focused and excited even more so now since she’s been out for so long, and it’s infectious so we’re glad she’s back out there.”
Morgan County plays Oconee County on Oct. 25, for a chance to advance to the state semifinals this weekend.