Guess who’s back? The 2008 Lassiter Trojans are taking the volleyball world by storm. They are having the best regular season out of any other team in Cobb County and have even made national headlines, earning a No. 49 ranking in the nation according to prepvolleyball.com. The team is loaded with experienced stars, featuring four seniors and six juniors who are sure to help this team down the stretch when the playoffs start. With the Cobb County Tournament starting this week, they enter as the favorites and are poised to go deep in the playoffs, erasing the memories of a rough finish in 2007.
LAST YEAR
In 2007, the Lady Trojans were in transition after coming off a state final appearance in 2006. Hannah Lawing, now playing at South Carolina, was one of several key seniors that graduated in 2006 and with their absence, the team struggled in 2007 to find its rhythm. Did Lassiter struggle that year? Compared to other teams, absolutely not, since the Lady Trojans were able to find their groove after starting the season 5-7. They even cracked the top-10 list and reached the Round of 16 of the state tournament.
“This year’s team is more experienced,” head coach Dottie Saye said. “Last year’s team really grew up by the end of the season, allowing us to sort of pick up where we left off.”
This year, the Lady Trojans featured players such as Taylor Montgomery and Hannah Reinke, both of whom are considered true leaders by their fellow teammates.
“The girls look to both Hannah and Taylor for leadership, but more importantly they all respect one another as peers,” Saye added. “We’ve got good leadership from our upperclassmen but also good enthusiasm from our sophomores and freshman.”
THE OTHER COMPETITION
No team, whether it’s volleyball, softball or football, wants to look ahead at its schedule, instead trying to take it one game at a time. With a team like Lassiter and its difficult area, however, one can’t help but wonder when the Lady Trojans will be challenged. This Tuesday, Sept. 30, will be a date to mark on your calendar, as the Lady Trojans take on the Lady Greyhounds of Pope, matching up No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state. Other teams the Trojans will face as the season winds down is area rivals Walton, Northview and Kell. And let’s not forget about the Cobb Tournament where Lassiter will face McEachern, Marietta and Allatoona. Last week, the Lady Trojans took on McIntosh and Westminster and went into those two matches with a 19-0 record. They lost those two matches but Saye does not believe it was a setback since they were downed by two great teams.
“We lost to Westminster and McIntosh last night, but reality checks are useful in the long run,” Saye said after the losses.
So what do the Lady Trojans have to do in order to reach—let alone win—the state championship? Lassiter’s players know that they have a shot but still have work to do and Saye had this to say: “This team has no false illusions as to an easy route to a state championship – but they know the possibility is there.”
Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com
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