An opportunity for a third consecutive 5A state championship by the Nation Ford volleyball team came to a screeching halt with a 3-0 loss to the TL Hanna Yellow Jackets in the second round of the playoffs.
The Falcons fell 29-27, 25-17, 25-17 to the Yellow Jackets. Nation Ford came into the game having split two previous matches with TL Hanna on the season, but was swept in their match in Anderson Thursday night. The loss knocks the Falcons out of the playoffs and ends an impressive three-year run resulting in back-to-back state titles for the program over the past two seasons.
“We fought really hard, but just let the gravity of the moment get to us and didn’t execute the game plan,” said Nation Ford head coach Carrie Christian. “TL Hanna was on and played really well as a team.”
Over the past three seasons, including their two championship seasons in 2018 and 2019, Nation Ford volleyball has gone 117-15-2. Nation Ford has a strong core coming back to the Falcons team next season as they lose only one player in senior Hannah Neff to graduation.
TL Hanna will now take on the winner of Dorman-JL Mann which will be played Oct. 30 at Dorman.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
