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Sports Notebook: ECHS volleyball ends season in Sweet Sixteen at state
Brittany Lein
Under the watchful eye of Coach Brittany Lein, Effingham County's volleyball team set a school single-season record with 29 wins and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the Class 5A state playoffs before falling to Habersham Central. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

Effingham County’s record-setting volleyball season came to an end Oct. 19 with a 3-1 loss to Habersham Central in the second round of the Class 5A state championships.

The Rebels (29-16) set a school single-season record with 29 wins, surpassing the 2022 mark of 26 wins. Along the way, ECHS had a school-record 10-match winning streak. Setter Bentley Braswell notched her 1,000th assist and libero Bella Scroggs registered her 1,000th dig during the season.

The Rebels, who beat six region champions (Richmond Hill, Calvary twice, Lakeside, West Laurens and St. Vincent’s) during the regular season, advanced to state by finishing fourth at the Region 1 tournament before stunning Region 5 champion East Paulding 3-1 in the first round of state on Oct. 16.

 

CROSS COUNTRY

SEHS, ECHS compete at Three Rivers Classic

South Effingham’s Ben Fluegel and Effingham County’s Chloe Adkins both placed third respectively in the boys and girls division of the Three Rivers Classic in Lyons Oct. 16.

Fluegel finished with a personal-best time of 16:30.50 and Adkins ran the 3.1-mile course in 19.08.20.

Rebel Theron Claridge was fourth in the boys’ portion of the race and his teammate Joseph Esco was fifth.

In the girls’ race, South Effingham freshman Natalia Melegari was seventh.

Teamwise, the Mustang girls were third among 18 teams. The Rebel girls were 11th.

In the boys’ race, ECHS was seventh and SEHS 11th among 23 teams. 

Here are the top five scorers for Effingham County and South Effingham in the boys’ and girls’ races.  

ECHS girls – Chloe Adkins (3rd, 19:08.20), Abigail Williamson (26th, 22:41.50), Winter Knapp (95th, 27:34.50), Lisette Ablakwa (118th, 30:20.30), Kahliyah Palmer (124th, 31:15.70).

ECHS boys – Theron Claridge (4th, 16:33.10), Joseph Esco (5th, 16:39.90), Orion Dagin (71st, 19:46.80), Evan Albert (75th, 19:50.60), Brennan Gelderman (83rd, 20:04.00).

SEHS girls – Natalia Melegari (7th, 20:10.60), Lydia Alderman (15th, 21:38.10), Patricia Backlund (16th, 21:42.60), Rebecca Long (17th, 21:56.00), Brenna Kicklighter (23rd, 22:17.50).

SEHS boys – Ben Fluegel (3rd, 16:30.50), Adyn Easton (19th, 17:47.30), Mason Jarvi (73rd, 19:47.40), Mayson Young (77th, 19:53), Kamdyn Fereck (143rd, 21:53.80).