Savannah Christian volleyball coach Julie Jones, who has led the program at her alma mater for 27 years, faced a challenging task after her team’s final match of the season. On Wednesday, she spoke to her squad of nine seniors after a disappointing loss to Lovett in the GHSA state quarterfinals.
Lovett swept Savannah Christian with set scores of 25-22, 25-19, and 25-14, allowing the Lions (29-14) to advance to the state semifinals in the Private School Division. Savannah Christian, ranked No. 4 among Private Schools in the GHSA power rankings, finished the season with a record of 31-10.
“Talking to your team after the final loss of the season is the worst part of a coach’s job,” Jones said. “But unless you win a state title, your last match will always be a loss. I reminded the girls that we can’t measure the success of this season based on one match, but Lovett outplayed us tonight.”
Jones believed her team was peaking heading into the playoffs. However, she acknowledged Lovett’s strong performance, particularly their excellent defense, which disrupted Savannah Christian’s offensive flow.
Lovett’s junior outside hitter, Sloan Balsey, who has committed to Dartmouth, led the team. Classmate Carson Pressley, a middle hitter, also attracted attention from Ivy League programs. Additionally, sophomore libero Margaux Godfrey provided solid defensive support.
The match marked the end of the season for Savannah Christian’s seniors, including all starters: setter Laney Westbrook, Katherine Ringham, Mary Elizabeth Edenfield, Mollie Poppell, Reese Theriot, libero Remy Thompson, and standout outside hitter Maggie Kyriakides, who has committed to play at Alabama.
“I wish we could have taken one more step and reached the semifinals,” Jones said. “That was our goal from the start of the season, and the girls fought hard for it.”
After the match, an emotional scene unfolded as the team met with their parents in the gym. Kyriakides reflected on the experience, saying, “It was rough. We were all really emotional because we’ve played together for so long since middle school and club. It was the last match for some of us, and we know we will miss each other. We did our best, but it just wasn’t our night. I’m proud of how hard we played.”
Looking ahead, Kyriakides expressed excitement for the upcoming Club season with her team in Jacksonville. “We’re going to some big tournaments this season, and then I get to play at Alabama. It’s a privilege to compete at the next level, and I’m really excited about it.”
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