South Forsyth eliminates Rockdale in state volleyball

CONYERS, Ga. - South Forsyth’s volleyball team stymied Rockdale one, final time.

The War Eagles trailed for brief moments, but ultimately out-played Rockdale for much of the night in a 3-0 victory in the second round of the Class AAAAAA state playoffs at Cleveland Stroud Gymnasium. Area 6 runner-up South Forsyth, which advanced to this weekend’s quarterfinals with the hopes of getting back to the state final four, defeated Rockdale for the third time in as many tries in 2014.

Rockdale, the Area 2 champion playing in the second round for the fourth time in the last five years, finished 38-16.

The host Bulldogs built what turned out to be their largest lead of the match, going up 5-2 early in the third set on Majesti Bass’ block-kill. South Forsyth stormed back, taking control of the final set with a 15-3 run aided by three kills each from Savian Jordan and Shaelyn McNamara.

Rockdale didn’t quit, getting to within 19-13 as Bass, a University of Georgia commit, finished her final high school set with three kills. South Forsyth didn’t permit another point the rest of the way as Courtney Darling had a pair of aces and four Rockdale errors polished off a 25-13 victory and a trip to the third round for the third consecutive season.

Two early South Forsyth errors in the second set helped Rockdale grab its first lead of the night at 2-1. Jordan got to work in her service game, picking up three aces and assisting on a kill by Amanda Nugent and the War Eagles held a 9-4 advantage.

Shivon Gray had one of her 10 match assists on Jamese Scott’s kill, puling Rockdale to within 10-6, but the deficit didn’t shrink below that the remainder of the set. Five different players had kills down the stretch for the War Eagles, including two each for Taylor Svelya and Giana Frangipane, in a 25-14 triumph.

In set one, Rockdale had gone from being down 10 points to just an 18-13 deficit when Gray handed out an assist each to Chloe Brown, Bass and Kayla Davis during a 7-2 spurt. The Bulldogs were unable to get any closer, though, and with four quick points, two coming on Svelya aces, South Forsyth led 22-13 on its way to a 25-18 win.

The visitors from Cumming got off to a fast start as Svelya and Nugent contributed two kills apiece for a 7-1 lead in set one. It was 16-6 on the strengths of consecutive Kailey Carr aces before Rockdale started to chip away.

Seven other Bulldogs joined Bass in appearing in a high school uniform for what turned out to be the final time: Gray, Brown, Davis, Gabby Church, Nazzerine Waldon, Khaja Tucker and Robyn King.