Hancock volleyball wins thrilling match over George County and punches ticket to state championship
It was sweet home Hancock for the Lady Hawks in the 6A South State volleyball title match.
Hancock rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the visiting George County Rebels in five sets on Monday and reserve a spot in the state championship game.
“This is every coach’s dream every year,” first-year Lady Hawk coach Greg Dillard said after the match. “From day one these were the expectations... We’re not finished yet, we’ve got one game to go. We’re just going to get ready for that.”
George County entered the postseason as a four-seed with a losing record before stunning West Jones in three sets on the road and earning a South State appearance with a five-set win over Long Beach.
The Rebels then took Hancock to the brink. The Lady Hawks took set one, 25-16, but GCHS responded by winning sets two and three. The latter a tight 25-23 victory.
“Hats off to George County. They were the No. 4 seed but every time we played them, they’ve played us hard,” Dillard said. “They definitely took it to us, tonight. But my girls were resilient. I told them after the fourth set, tonight is not the last night these girls put on these jerseys.”
The Lady Hawks listened. In front of a packed and raucous crowd at Hancock Gymnasium, HHS took control in set four with a 25-19 result and led wire-to-wire in a 15-12 set five win.
Breaking through
Hancock was knocked out of the postseason by Brandon in the second round a year ago, cutting short a promising season.
“Me and Anslee (James) have been playing sports together since we were 5 and we’ve been waiting for this,” senior Lane Wedgeworth said. “This is a really big moment for us. Our team deserves it. We’ve come up short in the last, like, five years in volleyball. It’s about time we win this thing.”
James and Wedgeworth were crucial in the Lady Hawks’ win, as was libero Hannah Lee.
Lee, James and Josey Smith make up the small, three-girl senior class that Dillard credits as the cog that runs the Lady Hawk machine.
“They’re the heart and soul of this team,” Dillard said. “You can’t replace them and I hate to lose them.”
“They pick me up when everyone’s down,” James added. “They’re the leaders. You can pick them out on the court. They have experience, they have leadership. You can tell who they are without looking at a roster.”
Hancock is now 34-8 with just one match to play. Awaiting the team in Oxford is Lake Cormorant, who took the North State title from Neshoba Central in three sets.
The Lady Hawks, who put together an 11-game win streak earlier this season, know how to approach their final contest.
“It’s not going to be easy and we’re just going to have to find a way,” Wedgeworth said. “We’re just going to have to stay confident and stay aggressive no matter what we’re doing.”
Hancock will meet Lake Cormorant on Thursday at 3 p.m. for the state championship. East Central and Our Lady Academy will also represent the Coast in championship matches on Thursday.
This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 10:37 PM.
