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SEPTEMBER 27,
2023
Banks County News
Section B
Volleyball: Lady Leopards take two region wins
By HANNAH CAUDELL
The Lady Leopards Vol
leyball team is on a roll as
the Region 8 AA tournament
continues. The Lady Leop
ards won their matches this
week against region oppo
nents Union County and
Fellowship Christian, along
with their rematch against
the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee
Lady Eagles. The team lost
to the Prince Avenue Chris
tian Lady Wolverines with a
final score of 2-1.
This week, the Lady
Leopards will be facing off
against region opponents
Union County and Athens
Academy on Wednesday,
Sept. 27 starting at 5 p.m.
On Thursday, the Leop
ards will face off against
region opponents Provi
dence Christian and Fel
lowship Christian at Provi
dence Christian Academy at
5 p.m.
The team now has a 22-6
overall record, and they are
currently tied with Provi
dence Christian Academy
for first place in the region
with a 3-1 record.
The Lady Leopards start
ed the week off strong in
their first match against
the Union County Lady
Panthers. The Leopards
and Panthers faced off in a
three-set showdown, with
the Leopards winning the
final set with 15-7.
Seniors Lola Pruitt and
Bacey Ausburn showed
their offensive prowess on
the court with a multitude
of attacks and aces between
them. Pruitt made eight kills
and 25 attacks, and Ausburn
made three aces and 18 ser
vice aces.
Lillee Parson, Addison
Hoard, and Bryanna Her
nandez led the defensive
effort for the Lady Leop
ards. Parson, the team’s
defensive specialist, racked
up the most digs during the
game with 12 digs total.
Hoard was credited with the
most receives, totalling 13.
Hernandez led the blocking
effort at the net with one
block solo.
After their victory against
Union County, they once
again played a close match
against the Rabun Gap-Na-
coochee Lady Eagles as
they volleyed and attacked
on the court. The Lady
Leopards barely took the
first set with 26-24, but the
second set belonged to the
Lady Eagles, who scored
25-21. Victory came down
to the final tiebreaker set,
when the Lady Leopards
mustered up their tenacity
and strength to defeat the
Lady Eagles with a score of
15-8.
Pruitt, Ausburn. and
Hoard once again led their
team to victory on the court,
each one contributing to
both defense and offense.
Pruitt totalled six kills, one
block assist, and seven re
ceives dining the game,
while Ausburn made 17 at
tacks, 17 service aces, and
eight digs. Hoard made two
aces, eight digs, and seven
receives.
On defense, Parson and
Hernandez shone once
again. Parson was credited
with seven receives, while
Hernandez had one block
assist with Pruitt.
On Thursday, the Lady
Leopards took both sets
against the Fellowship
Christian Lady Paladins in
their second region game
of the week, scoring 25-18,
25-16.
Caitlin Bernier and Em
mie Chitwood joined in
the fray at the net with one
block assist each.
Ausburn and Hoard led in
aces, both dealing two aces,
while Hoard racked up 12
service aces. Hoard also had
a formidable presence on
defense with eight digs.
Pruitt, along with Hoard,
also led on defense and of
fense. Pruitt was credited
with eight receives for the
game, along with nine kills
and 18 attacks.
Following their latest
region victory, the Lady
Leopards took to the court
again to end the week off
against the Prince Avenue
Christian Lady Wolverines.
The Lady Leopards fought
hard in their third three-
set tiebreaker game of the
week, but the Lady Wolver
ines were just as determined
to win.
The Lady Leopards took
the first set with 25-19, but
lost the second with a close
score of 27-25. They perse
vered through the final set
with the roar of the Leop
ard crowd to back them up,
including a very active and
supportive student section
composed of volleyball fans
and fellow athletes who had
just come from games and
practices. However, they
lost with a final set score of
15-8.
Shae Britt was a force to
be reckoned with against
the Lady Wolverines, espe
cially with her service aces.
She collected 12 service
aces, and many of the points
she created on the board
were made in quick succes
sion to one another.
Britt was also credited
with three aces and two
block assists.
Pruitt was a leader once
again, overwhelming the
Lady Wolverines with a bar
rage of attacks. By the end
of the game, she totalled 28
attacks against the Wolver
ines, as well as eight digs
and one block assist.
Alongside Pruitt at the net
was Ausburn, Chitwood,
and Hernandez. Ausburn
helped with one block as
sist, while Chitwood was
credited with two block as
sists. Hernandez was once
again the defensive leader at
the net with one block solo
and two block assists.
Hoard was an all-around
player, collected seven kills
and 15 receives, determined
to keep the ball in play.
Head Coach Whittney
LaHayne expressed her ex
citement for what the team
has been able to accomplish
so far.
“The girls are so excited
this season, and they are
doing everything it takes to
prepare for these next few
weeks,” Coach LaHayne
said. “We set goals last week
and there were a good many
of them who put being re
gion champs down as their
goal. This group is working
and pushing themselves to
be bigger and better than
they ever have been, and I
am so hopeful for this sea
son and ready to see where
they decide to take it.”
LaHayne also explained
that the girls are focusing on
what they can control both
in practice and competition
to prepare for the exhilarat
ing challenges ahead.
“One thing we have fo
cused on is being champi
on-minded and controlling
the controllables: our atti
tude and effort,” LaHayne
said.
T
B.JIG2 1 Wr;
ft/
Lola Pruitt takes a knee to perform a dig. Pruitt led the team this week on both defense and
offense, especially during the match against the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines with 28
attacks, one block assist, and eight digs.
Lillee Parson performs a dig. Parson performed well as a seasoned defensive specialist for the
team this week, with 12 digs against Union County and seven receives.
Softball player Gariy Segars recognized on Senior Day
It was Senior Day for
Banks County High School
Softball player Carley Se
gars this past weekend.
Carley has played soft-
ball for all four years at
BCHS, which has always
been an important part of
her life. She plans on at
tending a four-year college
to major in diagnostic med
ical sonography.
Her favorite memory of
playing softball is “running
to home plate for my first
homerun to have my team
mates, coaches, and fans
cheering for me.”
The team beat East Hall
8-3 in its recent game and is
ranked #1 in the region.
Carley Segars smiles as she holds three bouquets of flowers.
Segars was celebrated for her dedication to the Banks County
Lady Leopard softball team on Saturday. Segars has dedicat
ed four years to the Banks County High School Lady Leopards
Softball team as their first baseman, and she boasts a number
of achievements for her work on both the softball and basket
ball teams, including an appearance at the GHSA Basketball
State Championship last season and three career BLITZ Play
er of the Week awards.
Carley Seagrs and her parents, Teresa and Keith Segars, are shown on Senior Day.