Junior Alexis Parker (6), who had 14 kills for Farragut, spikes the ball during a 3-0 loss to Brentwood in the Class AAA state volleyball tournament in Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)
They battled to close finishes in two games, but Farragut fell to Brentwood 3-0 in the state volleyball Class AAA championship in Murfreesboro on Friday. It was the second time in two years that the Lady Admirals made it to the state final only to lose to the Lady Bruins.
Brentwood beat Farragut in three straight sets in Murfreesboro on Friday: 25-23, 25-16, and 27-25.
But the Lady Admirals, who are Class AAA runner-ups, fought until the end, pushing the final third set past 25 points. They occasionally took the lead and often kept the games within a few points. Brentwood won by only two points in two of the sets.
“I was proud of our girls,” Farragut Coach Susan Davidson said.
It’s the third straight state Class AAA championship win for the Lady Bruins, and their 11th total. Brentwood (52-3) beat Farragut (48-7) in the championship match last year in five sets.
Davidson said Brentwood, which is in the Nashville area, has a “lot of weapons” and a large front line. The Bruins have four players who are at least six feet tall, including 6-foot-3 sophomore Garrett Joiner, who had 18 kills and was named MVP.
Junior outside hitter Alexis Parker had 14 kills and 15 digs for Farragut. Freshman Sydney Cherney had 20 assists and nine digs.
Farragut lost four seniors after last year’s title game, and three went on to play at the collegiate level. This year, Farragut will lose four more, including Mikaela Brock, who had 15 digs and one assist on Friday, and Tia Madden, who had 14 assists and four digs.
On their way to the championship game, the Lady Admirals eliminated Oak Ridge in a Region 2-AAA semifinal game at Anderson County on Tuesday, October 13.
Davidson said Farragut passed well in the first and third set on Friday, giving the Lady Admirals a chance to run their offense. Brentwood took advantage in the second set, when Farragut didn’t pass as well, she said.
Setter Keely Kaufman had 26 assists and 11 digs for Brentwood on Friday, Kamryn Carter had 12 kills and seven digs, and Lil Schwarz had 18 digs and four assists.
Brentwood Home Page reported that Coach Barbara Campbell exits her 28th season with 1,538 career wins, second nationally among active coaches behind Jodi Manore of Temperance Bedford, Michigan, who has 1,684.
Brentwood also beat Farragut in three sets—25-11, 25-21, 25-15—earlier in the state tournament. And the Lady Bruins swept each team they played: Ooltewah, Siegel, and Farragut twice.
Davidson said she was proud of the Knoxville area, which had other teams in the state volleyball tournament last week, including Knoxville Webb, which won the Division II Class A championship 3-0 over Harding Academy; Knoxville Catholic, which lost to Sullivan South 3-0 in the Division I Class AA championship game; and Bearden, which was eliminated by Siegel 3-1 in the Division I Class AAA tournament.
Farragut has been to the state tournament three years in a row, finishing fifth once and second twice, Davidson said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Junior Madi Howell (24) had seven kills and six digs for Farragut during a 3-0 loss to Brentwood in the Class AAA state volleyball championship in Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)
Senior Tia Madden (20) had 14 assists and four digs for Farragut during the Class AAA state volleyball championship in Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)
Senior Mikaela Brock (15) had 15 digs and one assist for Farragut during a 3-0 loss to Brentwood in the Class AAA state volleyball championship in Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)
The Farragut Lady Admirals were the 2015 Class AAA state volleyball runner-up. (Photo by Kindell Moore)
Sophomore Garrett Joiner (20), who was named MVP, had 18 kills and five digs for Brentwood during a 3-0 win over Farragut in the Class AAA state volleyball championship in Murfreesboro on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)
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