H.S. VOLLEYBALL: South Side inexperienced on state level

The last time the South Side volleyball team made the state tournament this year’s seniors – Anna Westover and Shelby Bradford -- were in the sixth grade (2008).

But the Lady Hawks are prepared to head back to Murfreesboro and participate in the tough Class AA state tournament.

South Side (34-11) opens the tournament on Wednesday at Stewarts Creek High School against Christian Academy of Knoxville at 2 p.m.

CAK (32-14) finished third in the 2013 Class AA state tournament.

South Side coach Tommy Dean thinks his team is prepared.

“This is just another step up,” he said. “You can go back and look, and we have been through some battles. The final week of the season, we had to beat Lexington and Chester County to be the No. 1 seed. We had to come back in the district championship to beat Chester County, and we were down 2-0 to Crockett County in the region semifinals.

“We have talked, and I told them that it is a different world up here. We are just blessed to have the opportunity.”

Westover and Bradford are the only two seniors, but they are key components of this team.

“They are our two most experienced passers,” Dean said. “They are the cheerleaders on this team. They can do things that I can’t while they are out on the floor. They are the backbone of this team.

“The younger players look up to them, and they are good leaders.”

South Side plays a direct style of volleyball thorugh Haley Haltom as the setter, and she never leaves the court, and the attack almost always goes through two key players in sophomore Shea Dean and junior Kiya Sain.

“Shea was our primary hitter at the start of the season,” Tommy Dean said. “Kiya struggled early, but you have to think that she just had major knee surgery last winter. About three weeks ago, Kiya got her legs back, and she has been a different player hitting and blocking.

“But you have to have good passes and good sets to attack. When we click, we are awfully effective.”

Win over lose, South Side will play a second match on Wednesday night at Stewarts Creek.

Michael Odom, 425-9754

Class AA First Round matchups

At Stewarts Creek High School

Red Bank (28-25) vs. Knoxville Catholic (22-19), 9:30 a.m.

Dyersburg (34-8) vs. Harpeth (34-4), 11 a.m.

Page (34-15) vs. Signal Mountain, 12:30 p.m.

South Side (34-11) vs. Christian Academy of Knoxville (32-14), 2 p.m.