Lafayette endures emotional week
There is a lot of volleyball talent in Walker County this season and two of the county’s stalwarts clashed in Chickamauga last Tuesday night.
In a match that featured plenty of big-time kills, timely blocks and all-out, floorburning hustle on defense, it was the Gordon Lee Lady Trojans who held off the Lafayette Lady Ramblers, 2520 and 25-22, in a match of state-ranked foes.
Jillian Morgan had six kills for the Lady Ramblers. Gracie Stier had three kills and five digs. Imani Cook recorded two kills and four blocks, while Colby Charland added four blocks and a dozen assists.
Lafayette beat Dade County earlier in the evening, 25-10 and 25-8, in the nonregion clash. Morgan again led the way with six kills, followed by Stier and Sarah Ray with four each. Cook finished with three kills, while Charland dished out 18 assists.
Playing with heavy hearts on Thursday, Lafayette Lady Ramblers honored former Lady Rambler standout Karissa Tatum by sweeping a pair of matches at Ringgold High School.
Lafayette took down previously unbeaten Calhoun, 25-15 and 25-13, before a 25-16, 25-16 victory over the Lady Tigers.
The seniors led the way in the sweep. Morgan had 12 kills, nine digs, five aces and three blocks, while Stier had 12 kills, nine digs, two blocks and one ace.
Cook finished with seven kills and three blocks. Charland had seven digs, five kills, two blocks and 29 assists. Ray added three kills, two blocks and an ace, while Gracie Hess had one kill and one block. Daisy Felipe had eight digs, Alex Wysong had six digs and freshman Kameron Johnson, filling in at libero for the injured Kloe Ludy, picked up eight digs and three aces in her first varsity action of the season.
The Lady Ramblers played the matches less than 24 hours after hearing about the passing of Tatum, who succumbed to injuries suffered in a car accident in south Georgia earlier this week. Lafayette wore orange and blue ribbons — Tatum’s colors at Savannah State University — and also wrote her initials and number on their legs before the match.
Lafayette went on to go 4-1 at the Ed Hunt Invitational at Darlington on Saturday. They swept all four of their pool matches in straight sets, beating Calhoun (25-14, 25-20), Christian Heritage (25-19, 25-14), Bremen (25-8, 2511) and Coosa (25-15, 2515). However, in the semifinals, Coosa would get the win in the rematch, (15-25, 25 23, 15-13).
Morgan had 54 kills for Lafayette to go with 20 blocks, eight digs and four aces. Charland finished with 99 assists, 17 digs, eight kills, seven aces and five blocks, while Stier had 31 kills, 16 digs and six aces.
Ray finished with eight kills, seven aces and five blocks. Cook had 12 kills and five blocks. Hess had 12 kills and four digs. Felipe had 20 digs, four assists, four aces and three kills. Wysong finished with seven digs and a kill, while Johnson had 13 digs, one kill and one ace for Lafayette (24-3).