August 10, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Haralson County scored six runs in the first inning Monday evening, which launched the Lady Rebels to a 9-0 win over visiting Woodland. The hosts took advantage of an infield error, two doubles, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to lead 6-0. Two more errors and a sac fly in the fourth led to the Rebels’ three runs in the fourth inning. Charli West pitched all five innings for Haralson County (1-1), allowing just two hits and two walks while fanning three. Bella Kuykendall (4 IP, 9R, 3ER, 6H, 0BB) did the pitching for the Wildcats. Charlotte Petersen had both hits for Woodland. Woodland (0-2) hosts Dalton on Tuesday at 5:55 p.m. The Lady Cats also host Cass on Thursday at 5:55 p.m.

August 10, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Cartersville High School volleyball team kicked off its 2026 season this past weekend with a strong showing at the Sequoyah Volleyball Classic on Friday night and Saturday. The Lady Canes finished 4-1 in the tournament, defeating Denmark (25-23, 26-24) and Hillgrove (25-11, 25-20) on Friday, and beating Cherokee (25-21, 25-11) and Newnan (25-20, 25-13) on Saturday before losing to the eventual champion, Milton (19-25, 16-25). In the win over Denmark, Amara Ejieke had eight kills and three blocks. McKenzie Wilkie had 17 digs, and Emma Wall contributed 11 assists. Ejieke had 12 digs, eight kills, and three blocks against Hillgrove. Wilkie totaled 14 digs, and Brooke Belarmino contributed nine assists. Against Cherokee, Ejieke had nine kills and seven digs. Adelynn England and Blakely Morris contributed eight and seven kills, respectively. Wilkie totaled 11 digs. Belarmino and Wall combined for 27 assists. England had 10 kills and 10 digs in the win over Newnan. Ejieke finished with eight kills, and Holly Dufrene added seven. Morris had three blocks. Wilkie totaled 12 digs, while Belarmino and Wall each contributed 11 assists. In the loss to Milton (7-0), Ejieke led the front line with 11 kills. Wilkie finished with 14 digs, and Wall finished with 10 assists. The Lady Canes host North Forsyth and River Ridge on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Storm Center.

August 8, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Cartersville Lady Canes won twice in Calhoun on Saturday, improving to 5-0 on the young season, while the Cass Lady Colonels split their two games in Calhoun, defeating Gilmer for their first win of the season but losing to Trion. CARTERSVILLE 12, COAHULLA CREEK 3 Zoie Shiflett struck out 10 batters and had three hits on offense, including her third grand slam this season, to lead the Lady Canes to a 12-3 victory Saturday at Calhoun over Coahulla Creek. Shiflett pitched all five innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with no walks. Kennedy Crenshaw collected two hits, including a home run, with four RBIs, while Allana Williams added two hits, including a double, with one RBI. LaKiaya Banks and Izzy Tummins each hit solo home runs, and Carder Brock contributed one hit. CARTERSVILLE 11, JOHNS CREEK 0 Sophia Harper had three hits, including a homer, a double, and three RBIs on Saturday in Calhoun to help lead the Lady Canes to a five-inning 11-0 shutout of John Creek. Presley Crabbe tossed all five innings from the circle and struck out 10. She scattered three hits with no walks to earn the shutout win. Avaree Seller had two hits and one RBI against the Gladiators. Zoie Shiflett homered for the sixth time in the Lady Canes’ first five games. Carder Brock had a double and one RBI. Sam Porter and Kennedy Crenshaw each contributed one hit. LaKiaya Banks and Allana Williams each drove in one run. Cartersville (5-0) hosts Allatoona on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Dellinger Park and will entertain North Cobb on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CASS 10, GILMER 1 Cass pitcher Kylie Gentry threw a six-inning, three-hitter Saturday and allowed just one unearned run as the Lady Colonels won for the first time this season, 10-1 over Gilmer at the Calhoun Rec Center. The game was tied 1-1 after two innings, but Cass scored nine unanswered runs in innings three through six to secure the win. Kharmyn Collum (two RBI), Rilyn Caspari (two RBI), and Shyia Woods each had two hits for Cass in the victory. Lindsey Chubb (RBI), Gentry (RBI), Addy Bauder, and Natalie Hughes each contributed one hit. Maci Walker had one RBI with a sacrifice fly. TRION 13, CASS 5 The Lady Colonels capitalized on some of the momentum from their earlier victory and took a 4-0 lead in the first inning against Trion on Saturday afternoon in Calhoun. However, the Bulldogs scored four runs in the second inning and took control of the game in the fourth inning with eight more runs, ultimately winning 13-5. Lily Powell started in the circle for Cass, pitching 5-2/3 innings and taking the loss. She allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks, with one strikeout. Maci Walker pitched the final 1-1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs on three hits and two walks, with one strikeout. Lindsey Chubb (two RBI) and Natalie Hughes had two hits for the Lady Colonels. Kylie Gentry (two RBI), Addy Bauer (RBI), Rilyn Caspari, and Walker each added one hit in the loss. Cass (1-3) hosts Cedartown on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and will visit Woodland on Thursday at 5:55 p.m.

August 7, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville High volleyball team opened the 2026 season on Thursday evening with two hard-fought losses, falling in three sets to host Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (26-28, 25-19, 13-15) and losing two tight sets with Murray County (23-25 and 21-25). Senior Alexis Scott finished the night with 23 total kills and 10 digs. Junior setter Teaghan Myers finished with 36 assists and 9 digs, and sophomore Libero Nadelyn Dodson finished with 16 digs for the night and 5 serving aces. The Lady Tigers (0-2) travel to Jasper on Monday to play Union County and host Pickens starting at 6 p.m.

August 7, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Lady Colonels outscored host Allatoona 5-1 over the final three and one-half innings, but an early 9-0 advantage for the Lady Buccaneers was too much to overcome in a 10-5 loss. Allatoona posted two runs in the first, five in the second, and two more in the third for an early nine-run advantage. The Colonels scored four runs on four hits in the fourth to narrow the margin to 9-4, but would get no closer. The Bucs went up 10-4 in the bottom of the fourth, and Cass posted a single run in the seventh. Abagail Nalls made the pitching start for Cass and was tagged with the loss. She gave up seven runs (three earned) on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Lily Powell entered in the second inning and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits. Maci Walker pitched the final three frames, yielding one earned run on two hits with one strikeout. Walker and Natalie Hughes paced the Cass offense with three hits each. Walker’s hits included one double and one RBI. Shyia Woods contributed two hits. Kharmyn Collum (double, RBI), Addy Bauder (RBI), Lindsey Chubb (RBI), and MJ McFarlane each added one hit. Cass (0-2) faces Gilmer and Trion on Saturday at Calhoun Rec starting at 12 noon.

August 7, 2026 The Woodland volleyball team opened its 2026 season on Thursday night at home with a pair of three-set losses. The Wildcats won the opening set over Chattooga 25-15, but fell in the next two sets 16-25 and 2-15. Woodland also won the first set against Pepperell 25-19, before losing the middle set 16-25 and the deciding set 13-15. In the opener against Chattooga, Dayana Jaimes had seven digs, two aces, and two assists. Ava Lawler contributed nine assists and four digs. Reese Martinak had four kills and five digs, and Aby Childs produced three kills, four digs, and two aces. Against Pepperell, Jaimes had 10 digs and two aces. Lawler had 10 assists, four digs, and one ace. Emily Guin totaled four kills, six digs, and four aces. The Lady Cats (0-2) visit Gordon Central on Tuesday to face the Warriors and a rematch with Chattooga.

August 6, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Zoie Shiflett hit two home runs and drove in six runs, while Presley Crabbe pitched a run-rule shortened no-hitter on Thursday evening as the Lady Canes rolled at Dalton 19-0 in three innings. Cartersville scored 13 runs in the third inning to seal the victory. LaKiaya Banks hit a three-run home run, and Shiflett hit a two-run shot to center field in the Canes’ third. Carder Brock added a two-run single. Sam Evans drew a walk for an RBI. Banks doubled for another run, and Shiflett crushed a grand slam over the center field fence — all in the crucial third inning. Presley Crabbe tossed a three-inning no-hitter for the pitching win. She fanned all nine batters she faced. Banks finished with three hits, including one double, one home run, and six RBI. Shiflett homered twice for six RBI, and Taryn Bradley had two hits and one RBI. Brock (two RBI), Sophia Harper (RBI), Joy Ryan, and Allana Williams contributed one hit. Sam Porter and Sam Evans added one RBI. Cartersville (3-0) plays Coahulla Creek at 10 a.m. and Johns Creek at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Calhoun Recreation Park. NOTE: Adairsville at Kennesaw Mountain and Cass at Allatoona were rained out on Thursday.

August 4, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The 2026 high school softball schedule got underway on Tuesday night for three local schools, with Cartersville exploding offensively in extra innings for a win at Cedartown, while Woodland and Cass came up short in their respective starts. CARTERSVILLE 10, CEDARTOWN 2 (9 innings) Two long balls and eight runs in the top of the ninth inning lifted Cartersville to a season-opening 10-2 win on Tuesday night at Cedartown. Cedartown led 2-0 early with single runs in the bottom of the first and third innings. The Lady Canes tied the score in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by LaKiaya Banks. Both teams went scoreless over the next three innings before Cartersville blew the game wide open in the top of the ninth. In the Lady Canes’ ninth, Avaree Sellers doubled home two runs for a 4-2 lead. Zoie Shiflett followed with a grand slam home run later in the frame, and Taryn Bradley also added a two-run blast. Presley Crabbe entered in relief of starter Shiflett in the fifth inning and collected the Lady Canes’ pitching win. She tossed 4-2/3 shutout innings, scattering one hit and two walks with 12 strikeouts. Shiflett worked the first 4-1/3 in the circle, yielding two unearned runs on five hits and no walks. She fanned three. Shiflett led the Cartersville bats with four hits, including her grand slam. Emilee Brinson followed with three hits, including one double. Allana Williams produced two hits, including one double. Banks (home run, two RBI), Bradley (home run, two RBI), Sellers (double, two RBI), Kennedy Crenshaw, and Emma Miller each added one hit. Cartersville (1-0) hosts Villa Rica on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and travels to Dalton on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. start. ALLATOONA 4, WOODLAND 0 The hosting Lady Buccaneers scored two runs in the first and fifth innings Tuesday evening en route to a 4-0 win over visiting Woodland. Bucs’ pitcher Sophie Macurak limited the Lady Cats to only two hits and two walks while striking out six. Evelyn Tucker suffered the pitching loss for Woodland, working all six innings in the circle. She allowed four runs (two earned) on 10 hits with no walks and fanned three. Gracie Korb and Kylee Poston had base hits for the Wildcats. Woodland (0-1) hosts Cedartown on Thursday at 5:55 p.m. and travels to Haralson County for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch on Monday. VILLA RICA 3, CASS 0 The Lady Colonels outhit host Villa Rica five to four, but failed to produce any runs Tuesday night in a 3-0 season-opening loss on the road. Wildcats’ pitcher Peyton Harrison tossed a seven-inning shutout and struck out 13. She scattered five hits and three walks. Villa Rica broke open a scoreless game with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, then followed with two runs in the fifth. Cass pitcher Kylie Gentry was tagged with the pitching loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits and four walks. Gentry fanned five. Abagail Nalls retired the final four outs, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Natalie Hughes had two hits for Cass. Addy Bauder, Shyia Woods, and Nalls had the other Cass base hits. The Lady Colonels (0-1) visit Allatoona on Thursday at 5 p.m.

August 5, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Zoie Shiflett fires a pitch. The Lady Canes defeated Villa Rica 4-3 on Wednesday night to win their home opener and the first game at the new softball facility at Dellinger Park. The visiting Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the second to take an early lead, but Cartersville scored single runs from the second through the fifth innings to secure a one-run victory. Cartersville pitcher Zoie Shiflett struck out 12 batters and contributed two hits for the Canes’ offense, including a double and a home run to left field, in the win. On the mound, Shiflett allowed three runs over five innings on four hits with one walk. Presley Crabbe earned a save with two shutout innings of relief, walking one and striking out three. LaKiaya Banks hit a solo home run in the third to cut Villa Rica’s lead to 3-2. Izzy Tummins singled in a run in the fourth, and Shiflett’s homer gave Cartersville the lead in the fifth. Kennedy Crenshaw hit a triple, while Taryn Bradley and Emily Brinson also had hits for Cartersville. The Lady Canes (2-0) visit Dalton on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. game and will face Coahulla Creek and Johns Creek on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. at Calhoun Rec.

August 4, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Bartow Sports Zone asked local high school softball coaches to answer a series of questions as a preview of the 2026 season. Adairsville Tigers, head coach Justin Evans The Tigers are coming off a 15-15 season last year and were 5-13 in Region 7-AAA. Adairsville went 15-14 in 2024; 6-18 in 2023; 9-13-1 in 2022; 6-16 in 2021; and 14-12 in 2020. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? The unity and togetherness of our team have been the best since I arrived in 2023. They love playing together, help each other improve, and motivate one another. They also have more fight and grit compared to teams from the past. No drama, girls who want to work and get better. That’s where we improved during the offseason Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? -- Ashlynn Durden, senior, catcher — our only senior on the team. She’s our rock behind the plate and with our team. She’s a gap hitter with power. She has started for us since her freshman year. A veteran we will lean on for a team full of freshmen. As of now, she’s had a few D2 offers, but she’s not committed yet. -- Chloe Hill, junior, pitcher/corners — she is the only returning pitcher on the staff. Tons of power at the plate. -- Ansley Powell, junior, shortstop — one of the most complete players on the team. Power hitter, top-notch baserunner, solid defensively. Another player who has started at a crucial position since her freshman year. -- Paislee Rooks, freshman, pitcher — she will interchange in the rotation with Hill. We will rely on her in the pitching staff even though she’s young. She has great spin and a long frame. She’s a line drive hitter with some pop as well. -- Lily Brookshire, freshman, middle infielder — she is another complete player who can hit for power, swipe a base, and play crucial defense. A total team player who is a constant encourager. Are there other coaches on your staff? Billy Worthington — infield coach, hitting coach; Kristen Davis — 1st base coach; Harley Brown — pitching coach; Clint Hight — outfield coach and statistician What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? Our offense is strong. We are dangerous with the long ball from top to bottom. During the summer, we scored 11 against North Murray, 17 against North Cobb, and 19 against Gilmer. Hitting, base-running, and scoring runs should be our strengths. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? Pitching. We lost a veteran arm from last season in Ashlyn Carlton, who will be playing at Reinhardt. We returned Chloe Hill, but our other pitchers are either young or lack high school experience. Paislee Rooks and Heidi Rickett will be the freshmen who will get innings; Rooks in a starting role and Ricketts in relief. Ansley Powell can also log some innings on the mound. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Heritage will be the biggest challenge. They have won the state title three years in a row and are historically one of the top softball programs in the state. We have been under the PSR for the past two seasons. Being in a tough region during this time, we were the first team out with an at-large bid and the second team out as well. I like the PSR because it rewards teams that play in tough regions and are not in the top four of their region. This is because some teams have made the playoffs due to the old rules, which gave automatic bids to four teams from each region, and we've been ranked higher in the PSR because of this. We have scheduled stronger out-of-region games this season against Northgate, Trion, Haralson County, and Banks County because we want the best competition to help us improve. Are there any other comments you would like to include heading into this season? We have a smaller squad this season, but more depth. Our underclassmen can enter at any time during the game and make an impact, changing the outcome. Cartersville Hurricanes, head coach Glen Woodard The Lady Canes have been in the state playoffs in each of the last four seasons and reached the Elite Eight in Columbus last year, finishing 30-6. Cartersville made the Sweet 16 in 2024 with a 24-7 mark. They were 21-11 in 2023, and 17-11-1 in 2022. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? We have gotten stronger and faster. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? Pitcher -- Zoie Shiflett; Shortstop -- Lakiaya Banks; and 1st Base -- Kennedy Crenshaw Are there other coaches on your staff? Brian Adams hitting, Kenneth Crenshaw defense, and Mattie Johnson What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? Playing together as a team. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? Building on a 30-win season. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Cedartown and Cass. If you play a good schedule, then the power ranking will take care of itself. Are there any other comments you would like to include heading into this season? Go Canes! Cass Colonels, head coach Steve Spell First-year head coach Steve Spell takes over a program that finished 18-8 last season and 15-6 in Region 7-AAAA, but lost in the first round of the state playoffs to Pace Academy. The Lady Colonels have qualified for the state playoffs in five of the last six seasons, going 17-11 in 2024, 9-18 in 2023, 10-21 in 2022, 11-13 in 2021, and 17-17 in 2020. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? The two biggest things. 1) As a whole, we got pretty comfortable with being uncomfortable. We made some huge strides in the weight room, and the girls bought into pushing themselves past their limits to build some confidence, handle failure, and become closer as a team. 2) We got pretty good at doing simple things better over the summer. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? Kylie Gentry 2028, P/3B, Natalie Hughes CF 2029, Shyia Woods 2029 SS, Abagail Nails P/UTIL 2029, Kharmyn Collum C/1B 2030, and Addy Bauder C 2030. Are there other coaches on your staff? Sydney Chambley. There is only two of us this year as we lost an assistant in July, and could not find another in time. It will be very hands-on for both of us. She has been awesome all summer, and I’m super blessed to have her on board! What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? We will be able to pitch and defend at a high level. Also, very athletic top to bottom in the lineup with some pop in the middle. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? We are a pretty young group. We only have one senior, but we have some girls with significant player experience as underclassmen who will have to step up as leaders. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Cartersville, Cass, Cedartown, Allatoona, Villa Rica, and Woodland will all be in the hunt. This is a very strong region top to bottom. There are really no games you can walk into relaxed throughout region play. We are playing a tough non-region schedule, and we will see schools like Gordon Lee, Calhoun 2X, Trion, and Gilmer. It for sure had an impact on scheduling. We really wanted opponents who would challenge us and give us a chance to boost our PSR if it goes well. We also scheduled most of our non-region games on the road or neutral sites to give us a chance to earn more points. Are there any other comments you would like to include heading into this season? Go Colonels! Woodland Wildcats, head coach Jackson Cargle Coach Cargle takes over a Woodland program that has missed the state playoffs each of the last two seasons after a lengthy string of playoff appearances. The Wildcats were 11-16 last season and 7-15 in 2024, after going 20-12 in 2023; 17-17 in 2022; 19-16-2 in 2021; and 25-11 in 2020. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? Cohesiveness, working together as a team, and practicing hard. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? Bailey Ryan SS/CF/UT Senior; Evie Tucker P Junior; Gracie Korb OF Junior; and Sonny Hicks IF Sophomore Are there other coaches on your staff? Nick Shields, Kendra Dabsoub, and Peyton Posey What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? Solid defense, throwing strikes, putting balls in play, and running bases well. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? The jury is still out. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Not sure.

August 3, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville Tigers softball team outhit host LaFayette eight to five on Monday evening, but came up short in their season-opening game, 5-4. Adairsville held an early 1-0 lead, but the Ramblers scored three times in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead for good. The Tigers posted a run in the fourth, narrowing the margin to 3-2, but LaFayette answered with two runs in the sixth for a 5-2 advantage. Adairsville scored two runs in the top of the seventh and had a potential tying run on third base, but failed to equalize. Chloe Hill suffered the pitching loss for Adairsville. She went all six innings in the circle and allowed five unearned runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Hill led the Tigers’ offense with three hits and two RBI. Lily Brookshire finished with two hits and two RBI. Ansley Powell (double), Hynleigh Statham, and Madison Brookshire each added one hit. Adairsville (0-1) hosts Paulding County on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and travels to Kennesaw Mountain on Thursday for a 6 p.m. start.

August 3, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Bartow Sports Zone asked local high school volleyball coaches to answer a series of questions as a preview of the 2026 season. Adairsville Tigers, head coach Clint Decker (1st season as head coach at Adairsville) Adairsville finished 10-29 last season and was sixth in their region. The Tigers seek their first winning season since going 24-16-1 in 2021. Adairsville went 12-30 in 2024, 10-25 in 2023, and 16-23-2 in 2022. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? A majority of our girls attended each of our weight/conditioning sessions this summer, and we also had the University of Alabama at Huntsville head coach (Jon Moseley), who brought players to the high school to run a personal team camp. Our girls have been learning from each other and becoming more comfortable together. We have had three scrimmages, and we have gotten better each match. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? We have 4 players returning with varsity experience. Leading the way is senior Alexis Scott. She will be playing Outside Hitter for us, and we will rely heavily on her experience and leadership. Also returning will be Junior Setter Teaghan Myers. Teaghan will have the ball in her hand every rally, and she is a good decision-maker who will do a good job running our offense. Also returning is Junior Sadie Brownlow, who will be our other outside hitter. Sadie brings a lot of skill and value to our team and will be relied on heavily. Our final returning varsity player is sophomore Nadelyn Dodson. Nadelyn will be our Libero. Nadelyn started on the varsity team as a freshman last year. She brings valuable varsity experience and leadership to our defense. We also have several other players we have added this year that will help us this season: Sam Gough, Blaire Fuller, Regan Purvis, Kenzie Griffin, Anna Joslin, and Katelyn Bowley. Are there other coaches on your staff? Clay Heath will be helping our varsity and JV teams. What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? I believe we will be a fundamentally sound team this season. We should be a strong serving team and a solid defensive team. As the season progresses, I feel that we will continue to improve offensively. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? Learning a new coach and how we expect things to be done (which they have adjusted well already), but becoming more comfortable with each other, being a star in the role, and playing where we believe they best help our team. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Coming from Armuchee, we played some of the teams in our region, so I have a sense of our opponents. Our region also changed this upcoming season, so we will have new region opponents as well. I have coached many years against Scott Carter (the new Calhoun coach), so I know he will have Calhoun playing good ball this season. Looking through last year’s film and other teams’ rosters, I believe NW Whitfield is returning quite a few good players. If we continue to improve at each match, I believe we will be a team others do not want to face. As far as the new playoff rankings go, I have been dealing with this for over 4 years now (coming from Armuchee). The biggest thing affecting the rankings is just going out and winning. The previous coach had set the schedule before I accepted the job, but we pretty much kept it, feeling it was one we could compete in and, hopefully, help us gain a playoff position. Are there any other comments you would like to include heading into this season? We are excited about the challenge laid before us and about beginning our season. Cartersville Hurricanes, head coach Kyle Lundberg Cartersville was 44-7 last season and finished second in Region 7-AAAA before advancing to the state semifinals. The Lady Canes had straight-set playoff wins over Drew, Wayne County, and Blessed Trinity. Pace Academy defeated Cartersville in four sets in the semifinals. Cartersville was 33-12 in 2024, 28-18 in 2023, and 29-17 in 2022. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? We are focusing on becoming more scrappy and aggressive in pursuing balls that we may not have reached over the past two years. With less height than we've had in recent seasons, we're also adopting a stronger defensive mindset and emphasizing effort, positioning, and team defense. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? Mckenzie Wilkie, senior, libero, and committed to Coastal Carolina Amara Ejieke, senior, 6 - rotation outside hitter Adelynn England, senior, 6 - rotation outside hitter and committed to East Texas Baptist Holly Dufrene, senior, middle Blakely Morris, junior, middle Emma Wall, junior, setter Brooke Belarmino, sophomore, setter Sammie Camper, freshman, right-side/outside hitter Are there other coaches on your staff? Var Asst - Abbey Rogers, stats and Hudl Var Asst - Hallie Matthews, working with hitters/blockers JV Head/ Var Asst - Daniel Vaughn JV Asst/ Var Asst - Macey Vaughn What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? Team chemistry and strong leadership will be among our greatest assets this season. Our veteran leaders set the tone with their work ethic, communication, and commitment to team success, helping create a positive and competitive culture. Combined with our ability to serve aggressively and play disciplined defense, those qualities provide a strong foundation for our team. Offensively, our hitters bring a balanced attack, mixing power with smart shot selection and strategic placement to keep opponents off balance and create scoring opportunities. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? While our starting group brings valuable experience, our biggest challenge will be the youth and inexperience of our bench. As the season progresses, their growth and confidence will play an important role in strengthening our overall team performance. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Dalton and Allatoona should be our biggest regional challengers and will undoubtedly push us throughout the season. As for PSR, it did not impact how I approached scheduling. Last year, we competed against some of the top programs in the country and climbed into the national Top 50 early in the season. With that in mind, I intentionally made our schedule even more challenging this year. At the end of the day, I'm not overly concerned with our overall record. Our primary goal is to win the region championship. By playing a demanding schedule against high-level competition, our girls will be battle-tested, prepared for the intensity of the state playoffs, and positioned to make another deep postseason run. Are there any other comments you would like to include heading into this season? In the two years as the head coach at Cartersville, my mission has been to grow the program, and I feel like our girls have done that. We have seen more fans attend each year, and we would love to keep the attendance growing. Please come out and support the Lady Canes. Cass Colonels, head coach Amanda Manson Cass was 2-30 last season and winless in Region 7-AAAA. The program is still seeking its first winning season. The Colonels’ best year was 2022, when they were 13-26-1. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? Work ethic and attitude. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? With so many new faces on this year's roster, it's hard to single out just a few players to watch. We're excited to see how this group develops and competes throughout the season. We have several athletes stepping into bigger roles, along with newcomers who have already shown great potential. We're looking forward to watching them grow, contribute, and help make the 2026 season a special one for Lady Colonels Volleyball. Are there other coaches on your staff? Johanna Jewell What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? One of our biggest strengths this season will be our willingness to learn and grow together. With so many new faces on the team, we have a fresh group of athletes who are eager to compete and improve every day. While we're still building chemistry and experience, this team's work ethic, positive attitude, and commitment to one another have already stood out. We're excited to see them develop throughout the season and believe their growth and teamwork will become our greatest strengths. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? Our biggest challenge this season will be gaining experience and building chemistry. With so many new faces on the roster, we're asking many players to step into new roles and adjust to the speed and expectations of varsity volleyball. That takes time. Our focus will be on improving every day, learning to trust one another, and growing as a team. If we continue to work hard and embrace the process, we believe this group has the potential to make significant progress throughout the season. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Our region is very competitive, and we expect every team to be capable of competing for a state playoff spot. There are several well-coached programs with talented players, so we know we'll have to be ready every night. Our focus is less on who we're playing and more on continuing to improve as a team throughout the season. As for the new post-season ratings, we were mindful of them during the scheduling process. We wanted to put together a schedule that would challenge our team, help us gain valuable experience, and prepare us for region play. Ultimately, our goal is to play quality competition that helps us grow and be at our best when it matters most. Woodland Wildcats, head coach David Condon The Wildcats were 10-29 last season, after going 4-25 in 2024, 13-27 in 2023, 5-29-1 in 2022, 10-23 in 2021, and 13-25-1 in 2020. The Wildcats seek their first winning season since 2019, when they went 21-18. What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen for your team during summer and preseason workouts? The attendance has been good. Who are a few of your “Players to Watch” in 2026? Aby Childs, senior, outside hitter, has significantly improved her passing and is ready to play. Emily Guin, senior, defensive specialist, a great teammate who has gotten better every season. Bella King, senior, middle hitter, works hard and has improved every season. Reese Martinak, senior, outside hitter, great teammate and has also gotten better every year. Dayana Jaimes, junior, Libero. She can do everything well, and she is anxious to play after missing last season. Are there other coaches on your staff? Alicen Pearson and Jordan Michael. Both have been my assistants before. They both help with player development and in-game strategies. What do you anticipate will be the strengths for this year’s team? We have 4 returning varsity players who saw significant playing time last season, but 5 total players with significant varsity experience. What do you see as the biggest challenges for this year’s team? We lost our top Outside Hitter (Alex Williams) to a season-ending injury right before tryouts. We are developing some players in new positions. Which teams in your region do you expect to challenge for state playoff berths? Did the new Postseason Ratings impact the way you have scheduled this year? Cartersville, Allatoona, and Dalton. But Villa Rica and Cedartown could, too. The change didn't really affect how we scheduled; we were just looking to balance our schedule to get better.