ON THE COURTS: St. Pius looking strong as season winds down

St. Pius X has had a terrific year. The Golden Lions have a 36-4 overall record and a 7-0 mark in 5-AAA area play. Two of those area wins came against Druid Hills and North Springs early last week. Junior outside hitter Emily Morrison continues to lead the team in kills and aces. The Golden Lions 24-match winning streak was recently snapped by Whitewater. Barring any more defeats, Pius should finish the regular season strong and make a run for the Class AAA state championship, once postseason play starts. … One of the biggest surprises this season has been the outstanding play of Walker. The Wolverines are 26-2 and have taken on all comers. Walker plays in Class A/AA, but has played and beat teams from each of the higher classes. The biggest reason for the emergence of Walker has been the young players on the roster. Freshman Brooke Warner and Sophomore Anna Chocallo have played pivotal roles for the squad. Warner has been relied upon to finish points, while Chocallo has stepped up and become the top libero for the Wolverines. Ironically, Walker notched its most recent win over Pace Academy 2-0 (25-14, 25-12) on “Senior Night“. … North Gwinnett took the final of the Collins Hill Classic over Peachtree Ridge 2-1 (27-25, 13-25, 15-11). Junior outside hitter Kristina Stinson was named the tournament MVP after posting 38 kills in the win. Alex Panks led the Bulldogs with 69 kills, while Miller Howard and Matia Hughes combined for 49 digs against the Lions. NGHS currently sits at 35-6 (2-0) with seven regular season games remaining.