The Spartan Volleyball team had a great end to a successful season. After a decisive win against The Galloway School in Atlanta on Wednesday night of Fall Break, the girls geared up for the second round of the state tournament. Throughout the season, the Spartans had been faced with adversity and risen to the challenge, and Saturday, October 18, was their toughest undertaking yet.
ACAD was in the unfortunate position of playing The Lovett School in the second round. Lovett, already a talented team, also employed the skills of freshman Kari Knotts, a six-foot-three, fourteen-year-old who plays for the U19 Women’s National Volleyball Team, where she won MVP and Best Spiker. The Spartans spent the two days leading up to the big game preparing for the challenge by giving it their all in practice and watching all the film that they could. Coach Nikki Chester wanted to ensure that, despite being at a disadvantage, the girls fought hard until the end and felt equipped to go up against such a tough opponent.
After a long bus ride into Atlanta, the Spartans walked into Lovett with their shoulders back and their heads held high. They knew the chances of a win were slim, but they were thrilled to get the opportunity to compete at such a high level and were determined to have fun while doing it. Joci Higginbotham remarked, “I was really excited to play against Kari. I knew it would be a challenge, but that all of us would get better from it–and we did!”.
The game began, and the energy in the gym was electric, intensified by pounding music and vibrant lighting. The Lions had a strong front row presence and got quite a few good swings, but ACAD soon hit their stride and battled back hard. Freshman Riley Muir especially shone in the back row, digging many of their spikes, including several huge swings from Kari Knotts. Junior Sally Swann had an incredible block against Knotts, resulting in a point for the Spartans. The girls made an excellent effort in fighting until the end, but unfortunately, they were unable to overpower Lovett. Even so, the Spartans had an amazing time and are excited to face Lovett again next year for a shot at redemption.
The team had a rocky start to the season, not even knowing whether they would have a coach in time for their first games, but they have had a tremendous amount of success and growth this year. They are extremely grateful to Coach Nik, Coach Maddie, and Coach Logan for all of their support and encouragement this year.
