Redman sisters lead separate teams into state volleyball
A special week is in store for the Redman family.
Baylor senior Elaine Redman and Signal Mountain freshman Emily Redman will compete in the TSSAA state volleyball tournament in Murfreesboro starting Tuesday.
“I remember when I first started coaching at Signal Mountain, Elaine and Emily were really young and would be out there peppering with the team,” said mom Jennifer Redman, now in her third season as a Baylor assistant. “When they were growing up they would always get out in the front yard and hit the volleyball together, too. For them to both make it this far is awesome.”
Elaine has been one of the state’s most dominant allaround players since first starting as a sophomore — she had to sit out her ninth grade year after transferring to Baylor. The University of Toledo commitment has 2,162 assists, 954 kills, 851 digs, 186 aces and 94 blocks in three seasons. In just 11 starts this season, she has averaged 13.7 kills, 17 assists, 15.7 digs and 1.5 blocks per match.
“I have always wanted to be the player who my teammates could turn to,” said Elaine, who has helped Baylor ( 10- 4) to seven straight wins entering Tuesday’s match against St. Agnes (10-1) at 2:30 ET to begin the double-elimination tournament. “I want to hold my own in everything whether it’s playing defense, setting good balls or getting big kills. I don’t just want my stats to be high, I just want to do everything possible to help my team win and succeed.”
The Lady Red Raiders superstar is also her younger sister’s biggest fan and hopes she turns out to be an even better player than her one day. Emily has been a force for Signal Mountain (1816) with her hitting, defense and serving ability. The Lady Eagles will take on Nolensville (34-4) at 1:30 Tuesday.
“I have always looked up to Elaine and wanted to be a great volleyball player like her,” Emily said. “What I admire the most about her is how competitive she is and how in tight situations she doesn’t freak out. She just wants to do good for her team and win.”
Four other local programs will compete for volleyball state titles this week, which includes Class A’s Sale Creek (21-4) and Meigs County (18-0); Class AA’s East Hamilton (17-11) and Division II-A’s Notre Dame (30-4), who is led by senior McKenna Brown (529 kills, 15.6 per match).
This is the first state appearance for Meigs County, which has come a long way in just its third season as a program under coach Nicole Swafford. The Lady Tigers are led by Jacelyn Stone, Olivia Miller, Ella Scott, Sarah Swafford, Ella Crowder, Ansley Wade and Anna Crowder while they have an experienced senior class of 10.
Sale Creek returns to state for the fifth consecutive season led by standout hitters Ava Higgins, Lillie Morgan and Sarah Gibson. East Hamilton makes its fourth consecutive trip to state as McKenna Hayes, Tristin
Sutton and Amya Sutton have stood out.
For the oldest Redman sister, winning Baylor’s first state title since 2017 would mean everything.
“We have unfinished business,” Elaine said. “Before the season we had a team meeting and said to win a title it would have to be a complete team effort. We want to win state for each other. We have every piece. Our defense is there and this year we have all the hitters and are hard to stop offensively. Now, we have to finish strong.”
SOFTBALL
First round
GHSA playoffs
Class AAAAA
› Calhoun 10- 17, North Springs 2- 0: The Lady Yellow Jackets ( 21- 8) rolled into the second round of the GHSA playoffs as Lyndi Rae Davis hit three home runs and drove in seven in the sweep, with Paris Kirby going 5- for-7 with a homer, two doubles and six RBIs. Maggie McBrayer pitched a five- inning one- hitter with seven strikeouts in game one, while Sydney Terry pitched a three-inning no-hitter with four strikeouts in game two.
Emma Rogers drove in three runs in game one, while Grace Crocker was 4- for- 4, Jordan Blair 3-for-3 with four RBIs and Espee Reyes 3-for-4 with three RBIs in game two for Calhoun, which hosts the Apalachee/ Southwest Dekalb winner in round two Thursday. Class AAAA
› Heritage 16-17, Mays 0-0:
The Generals (25-5), the defending AAAA champions, needed only six innings to advance to the second round. Zoe Wright was a combined 5-for-5 with four RBIs and five runs scored. Bailey Christol had three hits and four RBIs, Sarah Haynes two hits and three RBIs and Madeline Stone two hits and two RBIs in game one, while Bailey Davis drove in three runs in game two. Heritage will host the winner of the Jefferson/Luella series starting Thursday.
› Marist 2- 4, Northwest Whitfield 1-3: The Lady Bruins were eliminated despite out-hitting the Lady War Eagles. Kylie Harris allowed two earned runs and struck out 10 in a tough game one loss while also adding a double and run scored. Avery Fantucci, who had a run-scoring single in game one for Marist, scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning of game two with a leadoff single, stolen base and eventually scoring on a passed ball. Class AA
› Dade County 17- 20, Coretta Scott King YWLA 0- 0: The Lady Wolverines improved to 19- 3- 1 with the easy first- round sweep. Ali Thompson had five hits, five RBIs and six runs scored in the two games, with Olivia Tierce adding three hits and six RBIs and Kristen Fowler five RBIs and five runs scored.
› Chattooga 25-21, South Atlanta 0-0: The Lady Indians ( 16- 4) rolled into the second round and will travel to Bremen, which swept Rabun County, in Thursday’s second round.