Coach O, three Lady Packer volleyball players honored
Published 10:56 am Friday, November 12, 2021
- Shown at the recent Colquitt County volleyball team banquet are, frm left, middle school head coach Elaine ‘Coach K’ Krivsky, All-Region selections Josie Wade, Olivia Davis and Takiya Tuff, assistant middle school coach Julie Autrey and varsity head coach Julia ‘Coach O’ Okongwu, who was named the Region 1-7A Coach of the Year.
MOULTRIE Lowndes and Tift County dominated the All-Region 1-7A volleyball team, but Colquitt County’s Julia Okongwu, in her second year, was named the Coach of the Year.
The Lady Packers were an improved program this season, winning 13 games, after winning just eight in the 2020 season.
Colquitt had just one senior, Josie Wade, and six sophomores.
Colquitt’s girls team also placed junior Takiya Tuff on the All-Region first team and Wade and sophomore Olivia Davis on the second team.
At the recent volleyball banquet, the varsity awards went to:
• Offensive Player – Takiya Tuff
• Defensive Player – Josie Wade
• All Around Player – Wynn Kinsey.
• Most Improved – Kate Summerlin
• Coaches Award – Olivia Davis
The junior varsity awards went to:
• Offensive Player – Ny’Asia Harper
• Defensive Player – Natalie Bryan
• Most Improved – Ranijah Boatright
The middle school team awards went to:
• Offensive Player – Abby Mixon
• Defensive Player – Eidi Gachuz
• Most Valuable Player – Clara Newton
• Coaches Award – Sadie Saunders
The Region 1-7A co-Players of the Year are Kaylan McConnehead and Kaycee Bussey of region champion Lowndes.
Milly Prince of Lowndes was named the Defensive Player of the Year; Tift County’s Shakiria Chaney, Offensive Player of the Year; and Tift County’s Jalaya Miller, Rookie of the Year.
The All-Region first team includes Tuff; McConnehead; Prince; Chaney; Otaifo Esenabhaleu of Lowndes; Skye McCrae and Ava Thompson of Tift County; and Madison Williams and Kiara Souvanarath of Camden County.
Joining Davis and Wade on the second team are Mary Allison Eubanks, Leah Slaven, Amelia Greene and Kate Craven of Lowndes; Miller, Reagin Walker and Kylei Cutts of Tift County; and Mallory Ivey and Emma Bonner of Camden County.
All four Region 1-7A teams were eliminated by teams from Region 3 in the first round of the state volleyball tournament.
Lowndes fell to Harrison 3-2; region runner-up Tift County was ousted by Hillgrove, 3-0; No. 3 Camden County lost to North Cobb 3-0; and No. 4 Colquitt County dropped a 3-0 decision to eventual state champion Walton.
