Mandy Prescott helps Hardin Valley volleyball win first region title

Trenton Duffer
Knoxville

With sweat soaking her jersey and the repeated chanting of her name behind her, Hardin Valley Academy outside hitter Mandy Prescott held up the wooden plaque that read what her team had been working all season to achieve.

Division I Class AAA  Regional Champions.

“These girls are my family,” Prescott said after the Lady Hawks beat Heritage in straight sets on Tuesday. “I spend 24/7 with them, and I feel honored to be a captain here. I believe in this team so much that I think hosting substate and how we are on and off the court. … We’ve just earned it.”

Mandy Prescott gets ready to serve the ball in the Division I, Class AAA regional volleyball tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The road to the state championship isn’t one that Prescott and Hardin Valley coach Mitzi McCurry are strangers to, though. Last year was the first time in school history that the team made the state tournament.

And now this year, they’re hosting the sectional for the first time in school history, meeting Volunteer High on their home court Thursday.

“We just have to take it one game at a time again,” McCurry said after the win.

Prescott and the Lady Hawks advanced to the regional final after easily handling Bearden 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-18). Meanwhile, Hardin Valley’s finals opponent, Heritage, knocked Oak Ridge out of the semifinals after nearly allowing the Wildcats to make a comeback late in the fourth set.

After Heritage closed the door on Oak Ridge by beating them 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 27-25, 27-25), the Lady Panthers came out looking rejuvenated and ready to upset Hardin Valley, jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first set of the finals.

However, behind Prescott, Texas Tech commit Alex Kirby and Troy commit Izzy Mitchell, the Lady Hawks closed the gap and took the first set 25-17.

Mandy Prescott jumps up to slam a pass from a teammate in the Division I, Class AAA regional volleyball tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

As the match continued, the fatigue from the four-set shootout with Oak Ridge ended up being Heritage’s demise, as the Lady Panthers dropped the second set 25-17 and the third 25-18.

“We did some things blocking-wise to try to funnel her one way, but we’ll keep working on that if we see them in state,” Heritage coach Jason Keeble said of Prescott, who finished with 18 digs, 11 kills and a block. “But I love Mandy to death… We coached her at 12-years-old. That’s what makes this fun. We all know each other. When we’re all done here, I’ll see them all at the volleyball club.

“But still, I’m proud of my girls…They’re (Hardin Valley) probably the favorites to win the (state) title now, but we’re right there.”

 

The 2017 Hardin Valley Lady Hawks pose for a photo after winning the Division I, Class AAA regional volleyball tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 10.