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ECHS volleyball seniors top off special night with a win
ECHS Volleyball seniors
Effingham County's volleyball seniors, from left, Caylee Burnsed, Emily Perkins, Bella Teston, Bentley Braswell, Kimber Michaelis, Bella Scroggs, Haylee Burnsed, Jorja Lanham and Abigail Goss were honored Oct. 3 on Senior Night. The Rebels seniors have led a program that has accumulated 99 wins during their four-year run. (Donald Heath for the Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD – Nine Effingham County volleyball seniors blended joyful tears with pride and camaraderie while being honored Thursday on Senior Night.

Then the group went back to work and about an hour later continued its special season of accomplishments with a 3-0 win over Camden County, tying the school’s single-season record with 26 wins in 2022, according to MaxPreps.

“I do truly feel blessed to be part of their lives and that’s why I do this year after year,” Rebels coach Brittany Lein said. “To have nine seniors and have them part of this program for four years, to see them grow and develop and still be out here and to get a win on top of it all is just icing on the cake.”

Nine was the special number for ECHS on Oct. 3. Lein is in her ninth year as the head coach. The team entered the day with a school-record nine straight wins – now extended to 10 – and the nine seniors saw their four-year record rise to 99 wins.

“We’ve seen other seniors come through this and graduate and now to have our own Senior Night, for our turn, it’s so awesome,” said senior all-around Bella Teston, who wears No. 9.

Bella Scroggs
Effingham County's senior libero Bella Scroggs registered her 1,000th career dig Oct. 3 against Camden County. (Donald Heath for the Effingham Herald.)
Senior libero Bella Scroggs reached another special number after topping 1,000 digs in her career Thursday.

"I've been working really hard to reach that goal,” Scroggs said in a text. “I am so excited my 1,000 digs happened during the Senior Night game."

At 9-9 in the first set against Camden County, the Rebels began to get some separation during a run of four straight points, highlighted by Scroggs aces.

Senior Emily Perkins had a kill and a block during the set-ending 6-1 run as ECHS won the first set 25-18.

The Rebels trailed 22-20 in the second set, but rallied and won 26-24 after kills by Jordyn Powell on the final two points.

In the third set, ECHS jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind the serving of senior Bentley Braswell.

Bella Giaquinto’s ace – the team’s 11th of the match – ended the third set, 25-15.

Powell, a sophomore, led the team with eight kills. Teston had seven.

The victory boosted the Rebels’ record to 26-12. They also won 26 matches during their region championship 2022 season.

ECHS has won its last six matches in straight sets and will enter the Region 1-5A tournament at South Effingham on Thursday among the region’s hottest teams.

“We had our moments of errors but we’re doing better in all areas,” Lein said. “We’re executing behind the service line, we’re connecting with the setters and we’re killing it.

“You have to peak at the right time and I have a lot of confidence in these girls going into the region tournament. If we continue to play like we’ve been playing, we can definitely bring (a region championship) home.”