Lady Canes capture third consecutive region championship

Cartersville volleyball won the Region 5-AAAA championship for the third straight season Thursday night with wins over Troup and Central-Carroll at The Storm Center.

The region title earns Cartersville a No. 1-seed heading into the Class AAAA state tournament that begins October 20. Troup took the Lady Canes to three sets in their best-of-three semifinal match.

Cartersville dropped the middle set 27-25 but won the first set 25-16 and the third set 25-23 to earn a spot in the finals. Rebekah Stevens had 15 kills, 12 digs, and eight aces in the semifinals. Nedu Evans posted 11 kills and 11 digs. Grace Hunter contributed 36 assists with four aces. Anna Grace Brock had 10 digs, eight kills, and three aces. Anna Mathis added 14 digs and three aces.

In the best-of-five championship match, the Lady Canes swept to a 3-0 win.

Cartersville won the opening set 25-19, the middle set 25-12, and closed out the match with a 25-20 set victory.

Stevens and Evans had 14 kills each. Stevens also had eight digs and three aces. Evans posted nine digs. Brock added nine kills and ten digs. Hunter (setting in photo) finished with 36 assists and four service aces. Mathis contributed 11 digs and a pair of aces.

“We played well in the finals,” said Cartersville coach Dutch Cothran. “We had a few little runs where we weren’t as sharp as I would like to be, but we were able to get things straightened out before too much damage was done.”

Cothran also commented on the program’s consistency.

“I’m ecstatic to win a third consecutive region championship,” he noted. “Our girls have worked really hard.”

Cartersville (23-11) will host the first round of the Class AAAA state playoffs starting October 20 at The Storm Center. The Lady Canes will host the No. 4-seed from Region 8-AAAA.