MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County volleyball team still has some catching up to do with the other three teams in Region 1-7A, but coach Julia Okongwu saw some glimpses of the future on Saturday.

Tift County placed first in the region tournament held on the William Bryant Court at the high school, with Lowndes second and Camden County third.

But the Lady Packers took a set from Lowndes and made Camden County sweat before falling in a close second set.

“We’re looking so much better,” said the first-year coach. “What we did was so much bigger than a loss.

“What we’re doing is working. I think once they see what they are capable of, they can be unstoppable.”

The Lady Packers opened with Camden and dropped the first set 25-18.

“I know we are better than that,” Okongwu said. “We were not moving, not communicating. That was not the team I coach every day.”

Between sets, team leaders held a meeting and the team performed much better, putting the Lady Wildcats on the run before falling 25-22.

“We still made mistakes, but they are fixable,” Okongwu said.

Colquitt’s girls did not play well in the first set against Lowndes and fell 25-16.

“They just lost confidence,” Okongwu said. “They just didn’t play together.”

The Lady Packers certainly played together in the second set winning 25-11.

“It was 16-5 at one point,” Okongwu said. “I was jumping up and down. I was so excited.

“They started trusting and believing. And they kept pushing.”

Colquitt dropped a mistake-filled third set, 15-8.

Led by senior outside hitter Cali Conner, daughter of Tift County girls basketball coach Julie Conner, the Lady Blue Devils clinched first place by downing Colquitt County in straight sets, 25-9 and 25-14.

“They have a really good rotation,” Okongwu said of Tift County.

Colquitt County got some outstanding play from senior Autumn Hampton.

“She definitely had some key blocks for us,” Okongwu said.

Sarah Glass did her job as a setter and “she helped keep up in the game,” her coach said.

Also coming up big on Saturday for the Lady Packers were Ashley Ma, Jewelia Chambers and Melanie Harp.

Colquitt County will travel to play at Cook High on Thursday and will be back on the William Bryant Court on Saturday, Sept. 8, against Thomas County Central.