GDW Analysis:
Local volleyball in the county school system this year has been superior play by two programs, Good Hope and West Point.
Last weekend, the middle school championship was claimed by Good Hope in a hard fought 2 to 0 sweep of West Point.
Now on Thursday from Felton Easterwood Gym in Holly Pond, Good Hope and West Point will be in championship play in the junior varsity and varsity division.
The JV match is set for 5:00 p.m. with the varsity to go to battle at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Good Hope Lady Raiders are going for their 4th consecutive Cullman County crown under current coach Natasha Holder.
The 2024 team has gone through changes in losing standouts Ivey Maddox, Charly Johnson and Emma Bailey to graduation.
She does have experience back with Jolee McHan, Campbell Koch, Carley Adams getting in a groove in wins this week in the tournament against Holly Pond and top seed Vinemont.
Good Hope was just 4th in the county pairings. That was due to three losses on September 24 in a quad match from Vinemont. In the matter of a day, they had gone from 1st place in the pairings to a middle seed.
Now that is a memory and the Lady Raiders are confident that a fourth county championship is in the grasp. This would be Good Hope's 14th since 2000.
Others that have contributed to two wins this week have been Caselynn Whatley, Emma Herring, Molly Johnson, Lexi Marshall and Chloe Eisner.
On the other side is West Point. The No. 2 seed under rookie coach Meagan Cagle.
Cagle came to West Point in the summer, getting back to coach a team after she was out of it for 2 years. She had 5 years at Cullman High School and her last 4 years, the Lady 'Cats averaged 27 victories a season.
Like Good Hope, West Point is experienced too with the spotlight being divided between Laklin Shadix, Macie Brown, Katie Beth Yovino and Caitlee Simmons. These are well known to Gameday Weekly for playing in 2023.
Coming on strong lately for the Lady Warriors have been Adrianna Owens, Charli Aris, Kelsye Will, Ak Taylor and Violet Riddle.
It is uncertain if PB Fell will be available to play. Fell hit the floor in their quarterfinal match vs. Fairview Tuesday and was reportedly taken to an area hospital for further examination.
These two have met once this year. That was last Tuesday in the 1st quad match battle in Vinemont.
West Point won it in a tiebreaker two games to one.
That dropped Good Hope into the county loss column for the first time. West Point would defeat Fairview before falling to Vinemont that put them 2nd going into the pairings segment last Wednesday.
The championship will be the best of a 5 game match.
The junior varsity will play the best of 3.
Photo of the Good Hope Lady Raiders from their quarterfinal match vs. Holly Pond September 30.
Photo courtesy of Martha Needham.
