On Thursday, the Lady Trojans’ chances for a state title ended in Murfreesboro. After battling back against Crockett High School on Wednesday, the Lady Trojans faced their cross-town rival, Signal Mountain, for the fourth time this year. The Trojans fought hard to take the first set in a win-or-go-home match at Siegel High School. However, Signal Mountain rallied in the second set to tie the game. In the third set, the Lady Trojans established a solid lead over the Lady Eagles but faltered when Signal Mountain tied the game at 22-22 and then took the last two points. The fourth set belonged to Signal Mountain, which won decisively at 25-12.
This season marked a good run for a team many believed wouldn’t even reach the state tournament under first-year Head Coach Paul Brock. In a phone interview with Chattanoogan.com, Brock said, “We ran out of gas in the fourth set. It always makes me sad when we lose, but I’m so proud of these girls for even getting here. Nobody thought we had a chance, but we only have two seniors, so hopefully, we’ll be back.”
Senior Grace Nunley reflected on the hard work it took to reach the state tournament and what it meant to her. “It was my proudest moment because Fehnly and I led a team that nobody expected to go far to the state tournament.” Although the team faced struggles during the season, they consistently found a spark to win sets or mount comebacks. With a 4-2 record in the competitive 6-AA district, Nunley acknowledged that while the loss was tough, they felt proud “knowing that we were the first Soddy Daisy team to win a game at state.”
Junior Finnell Reese described feeling “excited but nervous” during Wednesday’s match. She recognized that losing the first game served as the team’s wake-up call. “We lost that first game, and that set the fire under our team that we needed. We went out and crushed it in the next match.” The team hoped to carry that energy into the game against Signal Mountain.
As the season comes to a close this week, many returning players on the Lady Trojans volleyball team are eager to get back to work. They aim to return next year to the state tournament and lift the first-place trophy.
