A Banner Year for Sandy Creek Volleyball
Sandy Creek volleyball can best be described as a decade-long rollercoaster. They seemingly dominate one season, then lose over 20 games the following year, just to rebound and win abundantly once again.
After 12-19 and 7-26 records in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the Patriots stunned the state with 41 wins and a semifinals berth in 2019. Just at peak excitement, Sandy Creek took a tumble. The Patriots went 13-23 last year, and their campaign was highlighted by a nine-game losing streak in which they lost 18 of 19 sets.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Sandy Creek is thriving. They opened the season with a 3-0 victory over Eagle’s Landing and a decisive 2-0 win over McIntosh in which they barely escaped in both sets. In their third game of the season, Sandy Creek dropped their second set to Newnan, but rebounded quickly with a 15-8 third set win.
From then on, it was smooth sailing: a 3-0 victory over Union Grove, a 2-0 victory over Warner Robins, a 2-0 victory over Eagle’s Landing (again). The Patriots didn’t allow seven straight opponents to gain a set on them.
At 12-0, Sandy Creek was set for a matchup with Whitewater, a program whose last losing season came in 2014. The first set was a thrilling 26-24 victory for Whitewater. The second set was… less thrilling for Patriot fans. The Wildcats swept Sandy Creek and handed them their first loss of 2021.
With a short term memory, the Patriots got back to work. In their next matches, they outscored opponents 12-1 en route to an overall 17-1 record.
Despite a 13-23 season last year, Sandy Creek maintained their identity and put it to work thanks to returning talent. Senior Lindsay Tapp currently leads the team with 93 kills, just as she did last year. Sophomore Jada Caruthers sports a 50.4% kill percentage, improving over 16 percentage points from last season. Sophomore Skye Graham averages 2.2 kills per set, the exact same average she maintained last year.
The theme for the Patriots so far has been continuity, and they’ve returned all but one starter from last year’s team. They stuck with last year’s plan for success and made it a reality in 2021. Their patience paid off.
With such a simple idea for success, the Patriots have been able to accomplish plenty. Ten of the listed team members will return next year, giving true hope for a rollercoaster program in years past.
A daunting non-region schedule awaits for Sandy Creek, and they cannot let their guard down prior to playoffs. The Patriots are by far the best 3A team at this point in the season. Will they say the same at the end of the season?
Written by: Dhruv Mohan
