Heritage playoff run ends in Final Four
The Heritage Lady Generals advanced farther in the state playoffs this season than any team before them in school history.
Unfortunately, the War Eagles of Marist made sure that the Final Four would be the end of the road for the Navy-and-red in 2020.
Marist, winners of eight previous state titles in its program’s history, punched its ticket to the Class AAAA state championship this Saturday with a straight-sets victory over the Lady Generals last Saturday afternoon in Boynton.
“They were a good team,” Heritage head coach Kari Cooper said. “We had a game plan coming in and we knew some things to expect and they just were able to execute their game plan a little bit better than we were.”
Marist took the opening set, 25-17, before a 25-14 victory in the second set put them on the cusp of victory.
Heritage, however would start to find a little momentum in the beginning of the third set. Bolstered by support from the home crowd, they got out to a 13-8 lead as they looked to pick up the set and extend the match.
But the visitors from Atlanta simply refused to let that happen.
An 8-3 run would tie things up at 16 apiece and the momentum would stay with visitors for the rest of the set as they pulled away late for a 2521 victory to clinch the match.
“I wanted them to be able to hold their heads high at the end of the season, whatever happened,” Cooper explained. “They had a goal to win an area championship and advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history and they did that. They absolutely have a lot of things that they can be proud of.”
Lauren Francis had 10 kills, 13 assists, 15 digs and a pair of blocks in Heritage’s season finale. Anna Wilks added 13 digs and an ace. Aaliyah Rodgers and Abbey Blevins each had five kills, while Blevins added two digs and an ace. Aubrey Blankenship served up three aces to go with eight digs.
Heritage ended its season with a 41-8 record and Cooper added that this year’s senior class would be sorely missed next year.
“I really couldn’t ask for a better group of leaders,” she stated. “They’ve been with me for four years and I wanted them to go out on the highest possible note. I really can’t say enough about them and I really don’t want to see them go.”
Marist’s opponent in Saturday’s championship match at the Lake Point Complex in Emerson will be another Area 7 challenger in Northwest Whitfield. The Lady Bruins advanced to their first-ever state final with a 3-1 win over Jefferson last Saturday.
The championship match will start at 2:30 p.m.
Heritage sweeps Central-carroll
After losing in their last two appearances in the Elite Eight round of the playoffs, first in 2015 and again last season, the Navy-and-red found the winning formula last Wednesday by sweeping Area 1 champion CentralCarroll, 25-15, 25-19 and 25-14, in Carroll County.