SPRINGFIELD, Ga. – Three volleyball teams with three different agendas for the season accomplished one main objective Thursday night – getting better for October.
In the cross-county rivalry, South Effingham topped Effingham County 2-0 (25-15, 26-24).
But Richmond Hill was the bigger winner of the night, defeating South Effingham 2-0 (25-21, 25-15) and Effingham County 2-0 (25-14, 25-16).
“To get that kind of experience in a night is huge for us,” Mustangs coach Haywood Ellison said. “The girls have been thinking about [the rivalry with the Rebels] and talking about it. You have to match their intensity.”
Rebels Rebuilding
South (7-6) advanced to the Elite Eight of the state tournament two years ago but is now trying to shake off the disappointment of missing postseason play last year. The Rebels played a big part in that disappointment, beating the Mustangs twice during the regular season before eliminating them in the region tournament and ending Richmond Hill’s season.Thursday, South’s taller frontline of Morgan Stringer, Clara Vorel and Anna Kate Taylor dominated with a 14-7 run to pull away in the first set.
The hard-to-discourage Rebels had set point in the second set at 24-23, but Vorel’s rocket kill tied the set. Taylor followed with a service winner, and an Effingham County error closed out the match.
Stringer led the Mustangs’ hit parade with seven kills.
“We got down and came back,” Ellison said. “It showed they could persevere. Tonight, we got contributions from everyone. I thought our defense communicated well, and that’s big for us.”
Underclassmen Shine
The rebuilding Rebels (4-4), loaded with underclassmen after graduating nine players from a 30-win team in 2024, also left with positives and showed they might be a tough out at the region tournament in October.ECHS’ sophomore starters Ka’Meil Bates and Brynley Jordan, along with hitters Mattie Zettler and Eisley Milner, played well in both matches. Bates had a run of three kills within four points that gave the Rebels their biggest lead against South, 13-7, in the second set.
“We’re going to be small, but we’re going to be gnarly,” ECHS coach Brittany Lein said. “We did so many good things tonight, and it’s only August. Half my team is sophomores, and pretty much everyone is playing. I have girls coming up from the JV team playing varsity, and the speed of the game is different.”
After the match, Ellison had kind words for the Rebels.
“I told Brittany, ‘Man, I thought you had a young team,’” Ellison said about the opponents, who played much of the match like veterans.
“We’ll take that [as a compliment],” Lein said.
Tough Challenge
Richmond Hill (11-1), a region champion last season that wants to make a run with the elite in Class 6A, provided another challenge.The Wildcats, led by Coastal Carolina-commit Talia Johnson, might be the best team in the area. Their lone loss this season came against Alpharetta, a squad that went undefeated and won the Class 6A state championship a year ago.
South Effingham played well in its first set with Richmond Hill, rallying to tie at 20-20 before dropping the set. The Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never led by less than three in the second set, ending the match on a 10-5 roll.
“They have multiple players who can play well when their number is called, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Ellison said.
Rebels Struggle
Effingham County couldn’t answer Richmond Hill’s power in the final match of the night. The Rebels were outscored 15-2 to end the first set.ECHS stayed close throughout the second set, and Milner’s kill trimmed the deficit to 19-15 before the Wildcats finished the night on a 6-1 blitz.
“We’ve already seen improvement,” Lein said. “We have a great team dynamic. The girls support each other. They’re go-getters. They come to practice and work hard every day. I keep telling them all that matters is October.”
