Final 4 bound! TFS rolls on to state semifinals

Hosting the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, Tallulah Falls took wins on Saturday over Fulton Science Academy and Loganville Christian. The wins stapled down a Final 4 berth, to be played at Shorter University next Friday.

The Lady Indians, ranked #4 in the state and #49 in the entire state by MaxPreps in all classifications (a program-best), beat FSA 3-0. TFS won 25-4, 25-15, 25-14.

Margalida Amengual Sanchez had eight aces in that match, five of which came in the first set. Corinne Swinton recorded eight kills, two aces, and two blocks. Lily Smith (five aces), Rebecca Heyl (four aces), and Sofia Livianos (three aces) each had six kills. Shelby Whisnant added two kills and two aces, Tori Crotta had three kills, and Stella Bowman chipped in with two kills.

Against #5-ranked Loganville Christian, the Lady Indians beat their region rivals for the third time this season: 25-19, 25-14, 25-21. Tallulah Falls (26-8) has now won five matches in a row, and collected its 10th win this season over a top-10 opponent. The Lady Indians got out to a quick 9-2 lead in the opening set, which set the tone for the match.

"Becca, Marga, and Laura Ruiz Rendon led well and kept the energy high during timeouts and huddles on the court," says coach Matt Heyl. "The ladies stayed composed when LCA went on their runs, and turned it up at crucial moments in the match. Marga did a great job running the offense, spreading out beautifully accurate sets all around. Lily Smith was on fire hitting in the first two sets. Becca had an all-around solid performance, passing and digging beautifully to Marga. She chipped in with several kills herself."

Heyl also gave props to Livianos, who found some creative ways to get kills, and led the team in that category. Rendon passed and defended well. Swinton impacted the game all-around with solid serves, swings, and blocks. Shelby Whisnant had great accuracy with her hits and serves.

The Lady Indians prevailed over a late run by LCA in the final set, digging deep and finishing confidently and aggressively.