State playoff run ends for Lady Canes volleyball

The Cartersville Lady Canes volleyball team won the opening set Saturday afternoon, but eventually fell to Woodward Academy three sets to one in the Class AAA best-of-five set state quarterfinals in College Park.

The third-seeded War Eagles advance to state semifinals with their 13-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-22 win.

Cartersville head coach Dutch Cothran was pleased with the effort made by his team Saturday.

"I was very pleased with the way our girls battled," noted Cothran. "There is not a bit of quit in these young ladies. We fought with everything we had today against a very good Woodward Academy team."

The head coach also spoke about his graduating class.

"It's sad seeing a group of seniors have their careers ended, but there's certainly some consolation in knowing they played hard and executed on a very high level. There were very few things we could've done differently. There were a few mistakes here and there, but we made (Woodward Academy) earn just about everything."

Cothran also expressed gratitude for the support his team received.

Photo contribution: Nancy Brant

"We are thankful for the administration and staff at CHS for all the support. They along with our fans (including some dedicated football players) made this season great. I also need to thank Destiny Trammell (assistant coach) Jayla Cunningham (videographer) Colin Buffaloe, Joan Vargas, Logan Quijano, Anissa Wright, Ava Anderson, Alexis Raines, Jimena Hernandez, and Israel Satterfield who were statisticians, scorekeepers, and managers. They were a vital part of our success, and we are very grateful," Cothran concluded.

The Lady Canes, who were Region 5-AAAA champions for the second consecutive year, finished their season with a 28-4 record.