By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CEDAR BLUFF – The Cedar Bluff Lady Tigers were playing some of their best volleyball of the 2024 season during the state playoffs.
They defeated rival Sand Rock and finished as area runner-up to two-time defending state champion Pleasant Valley in the Class 2A, Area 13 tournament.
In the North Super Regional at Hoover’s Finley Center, Cedar Bluff opened regional play by sweeping Southeastern, but the Lady Tigers’ season ended in three sets against top-ranked Lindsay Lane, finishing just one match win short of a state tournament berth.
Head coach Deidra Cox said the Lady Tigers’ late-season surge has motivated them during the summer to get even further in 2025, and they might just have the tools to do it. Cox is returning five starters off last year’s team.
“We’ve got six seniors and all of them have experience at regionals for two years now, even some before that,” Cox said. “Last year, we got a win under our belt which was big for that group. I think it built a lot of confidence for them going into this year. Expectations are high. They know the bar, the standard of what we’re shooting for, and they show up every day to achieve that for sure.”
Three of those seniors were All-Cherokee County selections in outside hitter Kindal Grace (329 kills, 276 digs, 26 aces and 13 blocks), setter Rylie Walker (315 digs, 586 assists, 45 kills and 42 aces), and libero Blakelea Hall (394 digs, nine aces, and an 82% reception percentage on 1121 reception attempts).
For this season, Cox has moved Hall to outside hitter.
“She’s looked really good this summer out there for us playing all the way around. She has been a great asset for us,” Cox said.
Walker is returning from offseason knee surgery. Cox said the Lady Tigers “had to move some people around (with) people who had never set before”, but said the girls handled those situations well.
Another senior battling through injury is middle hitter Janaya Higgins. Cox said Higgins’ injury is arm related, but she expected her to hopefully be back within a couple of weeks.
The Lady Tigers’ other middle hitter is freshman Paityn Walker. Although Paityn Walker doesn’t have a lot of varsity experience, Cox said she’s “made a difference all summer and looked very well up front for us, even passing on the back row.”
Senior Anslee Evans will play on the right side.
“She’s another one who is going to have to play a little bit more back row than what she’s been used to in the past, but so far has done very well handling the pressure of that,” Cox said.
Mackenzie Kimmons rounds out the Lady Tiger seniors. Cox said Kimmons will help out on the front row, but “can basically be any hitter position we need her to fill in.”
Providing the Lady Tigers depth are juniors Shelby Morrow (middle and outside hitter), Cece Davis (right side), Autumn Kilgore (defensive specialist), and Marley Horton (middle). Cox said Morrow will see some playing time at middle hitter while Higgins is out.
Once again, Cedar Bluff competes in Class 2A, Area 13 along with Sand Rock, Pleasant Valley and Gaston. The Lady Tigers open the 2025 season on Aug. 21 in a tri-match with Jacksonville at Piedmont.
“We’ve tried to schedule some games that would give us a challenge to get us ready for area. I feel like we’ve done that pretty well,” Cox said. “We’re going to Coosa, Ga., that first weekend (Aug. 23). There’s always real competitive competition there, and we look forward to playing that.”
