By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CENTRE – Cherokee County High School volleyball coach Tiffany Rieger said when the Lady Warriors know when sophomore middle hitter Nevaeh Gaidurgis is on top of her game, they know they have a chance to beating anybody on the court.
Gaidurgis was on top of her game on Wednesday in the Class 4A, Area 11 championship game against Ashville. She posted 16 kills, seven digs, an ace and an assist in leading the Lady Warriors to their second straight area title. They swept Ashville 25-19, 25-12 and 25-16.
“When we start getting kills, we start getting hyped, and when we start getting hyped, we start winning,” Gaidurgis, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player said. “We wanted that (area) championship. We were focused. It’s exciting to get that next big step. I cannot wait to go back up there (to Huntsville’s Von Braun Center).”
As Gaidurgis said, the Lady Warriors’ reward for winning another area title is another trip to the North Super Regional in Huntsville. They will open regional play against Area 9 runner-up Cordova next Thursday.
Ashville also advances to face Area 9 winner Corner. Corner swept Cordova in other area tournament action on Wednesday.
“I think they came out relaxed and ready to play today,” Cherokee County coach Tiffany Rieger said. “I think it took us a little bit to get in our offense. We had been working on some new plays. It took us a minute to get in the groove of running those the way that we wanted to, but they never stopped trying. They never stopped hustling, and that’s what matters.”
Gaidurgis’ performance also mattered for the Lady Warriors (31-16).
“Nevaeh was swinging harder than I’ve seen her swing all year. She was coming at them,” Rieger said. “They (Ashville) did a good job of getting balls up that you wouldn’t expect to get up, but she was swinging hard. She deserved that MVP trophy.
“Vae has been really zoned in, especially these last couple of weeks. I wasn’t here Saturday (sickness), but the parts I watched from Huddle you could tell she was laser focused with what was going on. She was going to make sure they came home with that trophy. She was ready to go. That’s what it takes. When they see our leaders step up and dominate a game like that, it brings everybody else with them.”
Ava Haygood collected10 digs, five kills, two aces, an assist and a block for the Lady Warriors. Macy Lea added 17 assists, five digs, three kills and an ace. Libby Curry contributed six aces, four digs, two assists and a kill. Emilee Paul posted three aces, three digs and an assist.
Ellisan Givens delivered 11 digs. Lilly Shaw added two kills and two digs. Raegan Garmany had a kill and an assist. Aubrie Abernathy finished with a pair of assists.
The Lady Warriors set the tone in each set early. They took a 4-0 lead in the first set, jumped out on a 7-0 run in the second, and held another 4-0 advantage in the third.
Givens, Curry and Lea joined Gaidurgis from Cherokee County on the all-tournament team. Ashlyn Layfield and Molly Northam were selected from Ashville, which swept Etowah in the tournament opener 25-19, 25-18, 25-19. Lauren Farmer was chosen from Etowah.
With area tournament play now over, Rieger hopes the Lady Warriors’ confidence carries over to the North Super Regional.
“Last year we were really excited to make it because it was the first time the team had been there in a long time. None of these girls had ever played there, and I feel like when we got there we were a little overwhelmed,” Rieger said. “It’s a big venue, lots of pressure, something they had not seen before. I feel like that had an effect on our performance.
“This year I feel like they’re going in with more confidence. They’re going in knowing what to expect. My hope is we’ll be more relaxed and more confident now that we’re back-to-back area champs.”
