The Morgan County Spike Dogs continued to play impressive volleyball as the team headed into the first round of the GHSA Class AAA state playoffs Tuesday.
The Spike Dogs hosted the Calvary Day Cavaliers and used the home court to their advantage. The Bulldogs’ gym had a good atmosphere, and head coach Kat Goodwin’s squad came out on top in straight sets to advance to the second round.
Goodwin attributed the performance to the girls’ effort throughout the season and the aggressiveness in which they played with.
“I expected them to be aggressive at the net and really good on serve receives. I did not expect them to serve at the level they served at, so I was pleasantly surprised with that,” Goodwin said. “We only had a few errors, but they made up for it with the energy that they were able to bring.”
In three sets, the Spike Dogs were able to control the pace of play and never let the Cavaliers have breathing room.
Morgan County won the first set 25-14, the second 25-19, and the final set, 25-12. The Spike Dogs never trailed at any point during the match but did allow the Cavaliers to gain momentum during a couple of rallies.
Goodwin says that even though her girls are talented, they will need to work on their complacency while up during a set if they want to make a deep run in the state playoffs.
“I tell the girls that when they have a lead that’s comfortable, we tend to slack and tend to loosen up a little bit,” Goodwin said. “I just have to tell them to tighten the screws. Be intentional, be focused and those types of moments were the ones where I told them I wanted to see their work. We played a little fidgety at times, and we need to play with 100 percent confidence moving forward.”
Most of Morgan County’s usual culprits produced throughout the match. Haedyn Crumbley, Presley Hill and Chloe Burns had some effective spikes while other girls like Addy Christian, Quinn Butler and Allie Cox produced digs and the occasional pancake to keep rallies alive.
Most notably, Goodwin rotated in freshman Camryn Scherer, a girl who has started to get more playing time as the season has progressed. Goodwin recognized her abilities earlier in the season and wants to try and utilize them so that the team finds more success.
“Addy Christian typically plays middle back, which is a touch position that requires you to be quick, and Camryn [Scherer] is the fastest on the team,” Goodwin said. “We’ve been working in practice and region matches on her covering that middle back line so that Addy can get a bigger drive from the left side. She’s earned her playtime through the work she’s put in and the attitude she’s had towards the team.”
Ultimately, the win puts Morgan County that much closer to another Elite 8 appearance.
In the second round of the state playoffs, the Spike Dogs (32-6, 10-0) will host the Thomasville Bulldogs (18-11, 2-1) this Saturday at 2:30 p.m.