PELHAM BOUND!!

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PREP VOLLEYBALL: Raiders headed to Pelham

GOOD HOPE -

Rosemary Brown hasn't taken a volleyball team to the Alabama High School Athletic Association's state tournament in four years.

Looks like the Good Hope High coach won't have to wait a fifth.

Katie Windsor took an assist from Ashley Stanley and recorded the match-winning kill, helping Good Hope sweep New Hope 25-12, 25-17, 25-21 in a Class 3A sub-state match Thursday night.

Good Hope secured a spot in the AHSAA Elite 8 with the win. The Raiders will play next week at the Pelham Convention Complex.

Not much went New Hope's way, even before the match began.
While carrying her team's equipment into the gymnasium, Indians coach Shelia Mitchell tripped and fell in the parking lot at Good Hope. She broke her arm and had to be carried to the hospital in Cullman.

But not even a broken arm could keep Mitchell away. She returned to Good Hope before the match and coached the Indians with a brace on her left arm.

Even with its coach on the sideline, New Hope wasn't able to hang with Good Hope. The Raiders won the first two sets by large margins.

The third set was a little more interesting.

New Hope raced out to a quick lead and appeared to have momentum on its side. But with her team trailing by five, Brown called timeout midway through the set to calm her team down.

The Raiders responded with a 6-2 run, and then closed out the set with a 4-2 run to secure the win.

Windsor led the Raiders with 20 kills, while Stanley had eight kills and 20 assists. Elizabeth Hardin finished with 12 kills and a block for Good Hope, while Jordan York had eight kills.

Brandi Hudson added three kills, an ace and 20 assists, while Kayla Elrod had 12 assists and two kills.