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

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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.

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Amador Goes on the Road and Knocks Off Mariposa County 3-1 in the Playoff Opener

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6 minutes ago

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November 2, 2026

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The Amador volleyball players pose on the team bus during the trip to Mariposa.
Photo courtesy of Amador Volleyball.

Amador made the long trip to Mariposa County on Tuesday night and came home with a playoff win, beating the Grizzlies 3-1 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs.

The Buffaloes took the opening set 25-22, dropped a tight second set 26-24, and then took over the match. Amador won the third set 25-19 and closed out the fourth 25-15 to finish off one of the bigger road wins of the opening round anywhere in the section.

The result was no small feat. Mariposa County entered the playoffs as the undefeated Southern League champion, 14-0 in league play, and the Grizzlies had not lost a league match in 42 straight outings dating back through their run of dominance, according to The Mariposan. Their only losses all season had come against larger schools, and they were playing at home in front of their own crowd.

None of that slowed the Buffaloes, who turned the night into a team celebration. The program’s own social post from the trip called it a fierce fight for the win after the long ride south, a bus trip, and a stop on the way. After dropping the second set, Amador answered with its two most comfortable sets of the night to seal the upset.

The win advanced Amador to the Division V quarterfinals, where the Buffaloes’ run ended Thursday with a 3-1 loss at Bret Harte. Mariposa County closed a standout season at 27-11, its league championship streak stopped one match into the postseason by a Sutter Creek team that refused to be intimidated.

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