The Middleton volleyball state tournament run begins Tuesday morning. The Middleton High School Lady Tigers will play in the Tennessee state quarterfinals for the first time since 2014, after a hard-fought 3-1 substate win over Gibson County on Thursday night in Middleton.
Middleton opens state play at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, against the Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts (CSLA) Lady Eagles at Rockvale High School, 6545 TN-99 in Rockvale, near Murfreesboro. Fans who cannot make the trip can watch on a livestream, according to The Magnolia Post.
Community Send-Off Set for Monday Morning
Middleton High School is asking the community to give the team a proper send-off before the trip. In a Facebook post, the school invited fans to line up and cheer the Lady Tigers on their way:
When: 8:15 a.m., Monday, Oct. 19
Where: In front of the new gymnasium at Middleton High School
The school urged fans to “pack the area” and make some noise for the players before they head east.
How Middleton Beat Gibson County in the Substate
The substate match on Thursday, Oct. 15, matched two district champions. Middleton came in at 23-8 overall after a 9-0 district season. Gibson County went 15-0 in its district and 26-18 overall.
The Lady Pioneers took the first set 25-22. Middleton answered by taking the next three sets, all of them close:
Set 2: Middleton 29-27 (extra points)
Set 3: Middleton 25-22
Set 4: Middleton 25-23
The Magnolia Post listed these top performers for the Lady Tigers:
Abygael Fernandez: 17 kills and four aces
Brooklynn Webb: nine kills
Macee Mitchell: seven kills
Emma Howell: five aces and four kills
Coach Zeke Craft: Fewer Mistakes, Strong Faith
Zeke Craft has coached Middleton volleyball since 2008. After the win he said he felt “Pumped!” He told The Magnolia Post that the team had worked all season on cutting down mistakes, and that doing so let it beat strong opponents. He also credited the players’ faith, saying they take turns praying in the huddle.
Looking ahead to state, Craft said his team would not be intimidated by bigger schools. “We’re going up there to beat somebody,” he said.
The trip to state caps a strong fall for the Lady Tigers. Earlier this month they honored seven seniors on senior night and swept Hillcrest in the regional opener. Middleton sits just north of Walnut across the state line in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
