GDW Analysis:
HOLLY POND: They were the best through regular season play in Cullman County
Middle School volleyball.
On Saturday, they made their claim to being a championship program too.
Good Hope's Lady Raiders capped off a fantastic year winning 41 of 44 decisions.
The Lady Raiders took home the MS championship from Felton Easterwood Gym at
Holly Pond High School.
Good Hope swept 9 seed Hanceville in the quarterfinals 25 to 13 and 25 to 8, toppled
4 seed Fairview in semifinal play, 25 to 17 and 25 to 15.
In the championship against 2nd seed West Point, the Lady Raiders won by scores of
25 to 16 and 25 to 22. The championship was played in 41 minutes on the new painted
floor at Easterwood Gym.
Tournament scores:
9 Hanceville defeated 8 Harmony 2 to 0
1 Good Hope defeated 9 Hanceville 2 to 0 (quarterfinal)
4 Fairview defeated 5 Parkside 2 to 0 (quarterfinal)
2 West Point defeated Vinemont 2 to 0 (quarterfinal)
3 Cold Springs defeated 6 Holly Pond 2 to 0 (quarterfinal)
1 Good Hope defeated 4 Fairview 2 to 0 (semifinal)
2 West Point defeated 3 Cold Springs 2 to 1 (semifinal)
1 Good Hope defeated 2 West Point 2 to 0 (championship):
Championship facts:
The two best teams in middle school volleyball went to battle
at 1:39 p.m. Saturday.
Good Hope got a comfortable lead as an ace from Gracie Bates
pushed the Lady Raiders to a 15 to 6 advantage.
West Point never managed to make it close with Good Hope
getting four service points by Kylee Smith, a kill by Isabella Guzman
and a volley from Bella White.
West Point served the ball out for the final score in the set and
a 25 to 16 win for the Lady Raiders.
Things were different in the 2nd set. West Point took a 4 to 1 lead
by four service points from Alex Will.
A kill by Will had it at 10 to 6 and the Lady Warriors would stay
ahead until Tiffany Hinkle Pope's Lady Raiders patiently fought
back.
A service point was good by Lakyn Burgess to tie the set at
20 to 20. Guzman followed with a volley and a kill and the
Lady Raiders went up 22 to 20.
Samantha Bryson's Lady Warriors kept the pressure on, reducing
the margin to 24 to 22 and was serving the ball.
Smith ended the championship series with a volley that
was not handled across the net and celebration was well seen by
Gameday Weekly from the Good Hope bench.
The starters for the champion Lady Raiders were Smith, White, Guzman,
Burgess, Bates, Peyton McSwain and Ashlyn Link.
West Point had a solid group with Aris, Pegan, Perry, Will, Bai McSwain
and Kaylen Harris. The battle with Cold Springs was great to view
with the Lady Warriors coming back from a 26 to 24 loss in the 1st,
winning the 2nd game 25 to 8 and 15 to 10 in the tiebreaker.
GDW All Performance team from Cullman County MS tournament:
Good Hope: Kylee Smith, Bella White, Gracie Bates
West Point: Colbi Aris, Kenadi Pegan, Kenlee Perry
Cold Springs: Joli Williams, Maggie Rice, Katie Calvert
Fairview: Arleigh Harris, Kenzington Daniel
GDW Tournament Most Outstanding performer:
Kylee Smith of Good Hope
GDW championship match outstanding performer:
Isabella Guzman of Good Hope.
Photo of Good Hope Lady Raiders accepting the Cullman County
Middle School championship from CCBOE Superintendent Shane
Barnette Saturday at Holly Pond's Felton Easterwood Gym.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
