Lady Phoenix first scrimmage a week away
With hopes of another playoff appearance, the Sonoraville High School volleyball team is ready to get on the court and get their 2024 season started.
The schedule they will take on in the next couple of months has been released and the Phoenix are currently busy getting ready for what will be a busy time over the next couple of months with their first scrimmage just over a week away.
They lost more games than they won last year, but in the bigger Region 7-4A games, they were most competitive, placing third and reaching the GHSA playoffs before they were eliminated by Walnut Grove in the first round.
Now they are hoping to keep the success going in the new Region 7-2A that they are members of, but that league will still be extremely tough because it’s bigger with nine schools instead of six like the 7-4A had, meaning they have to go through a lot more games to get where they want to go.
Rockmart, Coahulla Creek, Ringgold, North Cobb Christian, Union County, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Murray County and North Murray will be their new playmates and the Phoenix played three of those teams last year.
They were 1-1-1 in those three matches, defeating Murray County 2-0 in straight sets; tying Rockmart 1-1 in an early-season tournament and losing to Ringgold, 2-1, just before the start of the Region 7-4A.
One difference between last year’s Region schedule and this year’s is that Sonoraville will play everyone one time this year and for the past two seasons, they met their Region foes twice en route to a 7-4 record in the league before the Region tournament.
And they also have some time to get ready for those eight important games as they will not commence with the 7-2A schedule until Tuesday, Sept. 10 when they go to Union County High School in Blairsvile to play first Rockmart and then the host school.
They’ll play four doubleheaders to get in their first eight 7-2A matches with three of those on the road and one at The Furnace.
The Phoenix won’t have many home dates with just five appearances scheduled in their own gym. And they will be road warriors to start the year with that first home date not until three weeks into the schedule on Thursday, Aug. 22 when they will host former 7-4A rivals Northwest Whitfield and Southeast Whitfield County in a doubleheader.
The Ladies in Red-and-black begin the season next Thursday, Aug. 1 with their lone scrimmage Pickens County. The teams are scheduled to start serving up the action at 5 p.m.
The varsity and junior varsity teams officially open the season on Tuesday, Aug. 6 with a road trip to Christian Heritage.
The Jayvee girls will play in their first tournament of the summer on Saturday, Aug. 10 when they compete at the Gordon Lee JV Playdate at Gordon Lee High School.
The varsity returns to action Tuesday, Aug. 13 when they go to Southeast Whitfield High School to play them and Northwest Whitfield County. The Phoenix are scheduled to face Northwest at 5 p.m. and complete the night at 6 p.m. against Southeast.
On Thursday, Aug.15, the varsity and junior varsity goes to Dalton to face the Catamounts and two days later, on Saturday, Aug. 17, the Lady Phoenix play in their first tournament when they go to Adairsville for a full day of games.
The Phoenix then return to Adairsville on Tuesday, Aug. 20 for another non-league doubleheader
with a 6 p.m. contest against Coosa and then a 7 p.m. match against the host school.
Finally, they are at home on Thursday, Aug. 22 to play the Whitfield County schools again. The Lady Phoenix will take on Northwest Whitfield at 5 p.m. and then clash with Southeast Whitfield at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Aug. 24 they will be one of the clubs in the Calhoun tournament with a full morning and afternoon of matches.
They remain on the road Tuesday, Aug. 27 with a trip to Gordon Lee for another pair of games. They will play Gordon Lee at 5 p.m. and then Chattooga at 6 p.m. to finish out the night.
They conclude a busy month of August on Thursday, the 29th when they are back at the Furnace for two more non-Region games. The Phoenix take on LaFayette at 5 p.m. and Pickens County at 7 p.m.
They then have a full week off from games before they open September on Saturday, the 7th by hosting their own varsity playdate at The Furnace against Dalton and former 7-4A foes Heritage and Cedartown.
Their next doubleheader will be their first two 7-2A league games on Tuesday, Sept. 10 when they travel to Union County to play UC and Rockmart. The Lady Phoenix will take on Rockmart first at 6 p.m. and then Union County in the 7 p.m. nightcap.
The Sonoraville girls will get back on the bus on Thursday, Sept. 12 when they step back out of league play for a trip to LaFayette. They play the Lady Ramblers and Hamilton Heights.
The junior varsity is back in tournament action Saturday, Sept. 14
when they play in the Southeast Whitfield County Jayvee tournament at SW Whitfield County High School, starting at 9 a.m.
They will look to win another pair of Region 7-2A outings with a twinbill Tuesday, Sept. 17 at North Cobb Christian. The Phoenix take on North Murray at 6 p.m. and then play NCC for the first time ever at 7 p.m.
Their first home game of the month is scheduled for two days later, Thursday, Sept. 19 against Adairsville at The Furnace. It will be Senior Night and the jayvees play at 5 p.m. with the varsity to start at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 21, Sonoraville plays in its final non-Region varsity
tournament when they are at the Southeast Whitfield County tournament, which begins at 8 a.m. that morning.
The Lady Phoenix are back home Tuesday, Sept. 24 for two important Region 7-2A matches. Sonoraville meets Coahulla Creek at 5 p.m. and then face Ringgold at 6 p.m. at The Furnace.
They finish the month Thursday, Sept. 26 when they head to Northwest Whitfield County to play the Bruins and LakeeviewFort Oglethorpe in a non-Region game. Their first game is set for 5 p.m. and the second is set for 6 p.m.
October will bring the end of the regular season, the Region
7-2A tournament and hopefully the playoffs for the Lady Phoenix.
They end the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 1 when they go to North Murray High School for their last two scheduled 7-2A games. The Phoenix play North Murray at 5 p.m. and then Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe at 6 p.m.
That gives the team a full week off before they start the Region 7-2A playoffs a week later on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The second round of the league tournament is set for Thursday, Oct. 12 and then the 7-2A will hold championship day on Saturday, Oct. 14.
The 2A state playoffs are scheduled to begin Tuesday, Oct. 15 across Georgia.