We Speak Volleyball

Charlotte Outlasts Sunlake 3-2 To Reach The State Semifinals

Published

1 hour ago

November 2, 2026

The Charlotte volleyball team on the court at Sunlake on game day.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Tarpon Volleyball.

Charlotte is going to Winter Haven. The Tarpons went on the road Wednesday night and beat top seeded Sunlake 3-2 in the Class 5A Region 3 final, taking the fifth set 15-10 to earn a place in the state semifinals.

Sunlake struck first at home, winning the opening set 25-19. Charlotte answered with the next two sets, 25-22 and 25-16, to move within one set of the regional title. Sunlake refused to finish its season there. The Seahawks took the fourth set 25-23 and forced a deciding fifth set in front of their home crowd. Charlotte closed it out 15-10, and the celebration started on Sunlake’s court.

Both teams arrived at the final without dropping a set in regional play. Sunlake, the region’s top seed, swept Palmetto Ridge in the quarterfinals and swept East Lake on Saturday in the semifinals. Charlotte, the No. 2 seed, swept Land O’ Lakes in the quarterfinals and swept Wharton on Saturday in the semifinals. The final was the first match of the regional tournament in which either team lost a set, and it went the full five.

MaxPreps credited Charlotte with 65 kills, 65 assists, 84 digs, 15 aces and 10 blocks as a team. Its top performers list for the match had S. Vega with 28 kills, S. Richardson with five kills on a .625 hitting percentage, and N. Price with four kills and five total blocks. Sunlake did not enter individual statistics for the match.

The win sends Charlotte to a state semifinal against Middleburg on Thursday, November 5 in Winter Haven. The Tarpons called the berth their first trip to the state tournament in 31 years. Sunlake finishes 22-7, one win short of Winter Haven after entering the night as the region’s top seed.

We Speak Volleyball

Columbus Stuns Top Seeded North Hall in Five Sets to Reach State Final

Published

8 minutes ago

November 2, 2026

We Speak Media

Columbus volleyball players celebrate on the court during the state semifinal.

Photo courtesy of Columbus High Athletics.

Columbus was not supposed to be here. The fifth seeded Blue Devils beat top seeded North Hall 3-2 on Tuesday in the GHSA Class AAAA state semifinals at LakePoint Sports Champions Center in Cartersville, and the win sent Columbus to the state championship match. It was the second straight five set win for the Blue Devils.

North Hall looked every bit the favorite early. The Trojans opened the first set on a 10-0 run behind the serving of Brinley Simmons and won it 25-18. Columbus answered in the second set, and senior middle hitters Leah Richardson and Taylor Myers took over at the net. Myers delivered 3 kills and 2 blocks in the final 10 points of the set as Columbus evened the match with a 25-23 win.

North Hall took the third set 25-12 and moved in front again. Columbus responded once more, with Richardson and Myers combining for 6 kills and 3 blocks while closing out a 25-18 win in the fourth set. In the fifth, Columbus finished the upset 15-7.

North Hall entered the match 41-6, riding a 21 match winning streak, and was playing in the Final Four for the second time in program history and the first time since 2017. Columbus, coached by Carson Laye, improved to 34-14 and moved on to face Oconee County in Thursday’s championship match.

The Blue Devils had already beaten Woodland Stockbridge in five sets in the quarterfinals. Against North Hall, they proved that result was no fluke, knocking out the bracket’s top seed one win short of the final.