The Morgan County volleyball team (31-5) has only lost two matches since the beginning of September and ended the month with a ton of momentum heading into postseason play.
The Spike Dogs defeated the Musketeers of Academy of Richmond County (ARC) in two straight sets on Sept. 29, during its “Pink-Out Night” game to claim the top spot in Class 3-A, Area 4.
It was the last region match of the year, and it left head coach Kat Goodwin’s team undefeated in region play with a perfect 10-0 record.
Not only did the win greatly impact the Spike Dogs’ postseason outlook, but Goodwin acknowledged what winning on a night like that really meant.
“Pink-Out Night is a time for us to come together and raise awareness about breast cancer and raise funds for Morgan Medical through shirt sales, a small raffle, and a bake sale,” Goodwin said. “Breast cancer is something that one-in-three women will deal with in their lives, and being a girls’ sport that statistic is really powerful. It is an annual event that is always fun and brings great energy and purpose to the game.”
Even though the Spike Dogs came out on top 2-0, it wasn’t easy. In both sets, long rallies ended up going Morgan County’s way the majority of the time, and Goodwin attributed the win to the team’s defense.
“Against ARC, our defense was the key in those long rallies,” Goodwin said. “Efforts from players like Addy Christian and Allie Cox setting made the difference.”
Christian and Cox were both automatic with their sets to Spike Dog hitters all afternoon. Both players found hitters like Haedyn Crumbley and Quinn Butler at the net to finish off rallies and secure points.
Goodwin recognized Christian after the game and attributed a lot of the squad’s success to her underrated consistency.
“Addy has been so important to the team’s success, and not just this year,” Goodwin said. “She had the jersey on when the team played for a state title three years ago and has been the most consistent presence on the court for the majority of these girls’ time at Morgan. She is our captain this year and is the silent backbone of the team.”
Makenzie Pitzer and Presley Hill also got in on the action for Morgan County, coming up with important blocks on the defensive side to keep the match close.
Goodwin believes the team’s success at the net has come from working hard during practices.
“We have been working really consistently on positioning at the net and on defense and really fine-tuning defensive zones and coverage,” Goodwin said. “I think volleyball is won on defense, so that has been a huge focus for us.”
With only three more matches until the postseason, the Spike Dogs look to keep their momentum high heading into the first round.
Goodwin acknowledged that playoff matches have a whole different atmosphere than regular season games.
“The main differences with the postseason are that we play longer matches (3-of-5 instead of 2-of-3 sets), and that it is just varsity in the gym. JV brings so much extra energy and noise to practice, and there is nothing harder than a quiet volleyball gym to find momentum in big games,” Goodwin said. “The postseason also brings added pressure. The tournament is single elimination, so a loss counts more, as does a win.”
The Spike Dogs have historically had success in the postseason. The team has made it to at least the Sweet 16 of the state playoffs every year for the past four years, and this year’s team is looking to make it five straight.
The last time Morgan County finished undefeated in the region, they went on to play for the state championship, so they hope they can find the same success, if not more, this time around.