9 would be fine: Pace Academy looks to extend volleyball dominance
Eight is not enough for the Pace Academy volleyball team. They want at least one more.
The Knights will be going for their ninth consecutive state volleyball title Thursday, one of the longest stretches of championship dominance in any sport in GHSA history. The only comparable one is Camden County’s current streak of 11 consecutive wrestling championships.
With 10 seniors on the roster — five of whom have started since their freshman year — the Knights know how to navigate the landscape and have grown comfortable playing under pressure.
“They have experienced this multiple times, so they know what it looks like. They know what it feels like to have a championship program,” coach Cat Monroe said. “I get a lot of buy-in from the athletes. They love playing for Pace. They lock in. So, I’m not trying to motivate kids to work hard in practice. It’s just in their DNA with what they do. And having the senior leadership is a big bonus.”
Pace Academy will meet Marist, a team it defeated in the semifinals last year, for the Class 4A championship at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
All state titles will be decided Wednesday and Thursday at the LakePoint Sports Center in Cartersville.
Pace Academy is led by setter Olivia Siskin, the No. 1 senior in the state according to Prep Dig and a Virginia signee. Her older sister, Ellie, is playing at Penn, and her younger sister, Madeline, is a freshman on this year’s team.
Outside hitter Lawson Monroe is ranked No. 5 and headed to Brown; she celebrated the 1,000th kill of her career this season. Other top senior players include Gabby Emch, who will play at Colgate, Rebecca McCloskey, Britton McGurn, Zoe Taylor and Jolie Litvak.
“It’s a very deep team,” Monroe said. “We don’t have to rely on one player to kind of carry us through.”
Even though Pace Academy has unmatched experience, there were a few rough patches earlier in the season. There was some fine-tuning after back-to-back losses to McIntosh and Lovett, and the Knights followed with 16 consecutive wins — not losing a set until the semifinal match against Cartersville.
“That was kind of a pivotal moment for us, just finally realizing that we needed to make some small changes in our lineup,” Monroe said. “It’s made a big difference and what we’ve been really good at — which makes me very nervous as a coach at the same time — is that they make big plays in critical moments.”
Pace Academy (35-7) played an ambitious schedule.
The Knights went 7-4 games against out-of-state opponents, losing to nationally ranked Mater Dei (No. 3 in MaxPreps) and Calvary Christian (No. 16). McIntosh, Lovett and Woodward Academy — the only three Georgia teams to beat Pace Academy — are all playing for a state championship in their respective class.
Other teams trying to defend their state championships are Alpharetta, Morgan County and Hebron Christian. Alpharetta (38-1) is ranked No. 1 in Georgia by MaxPreps; the Raiders’ only loss came against Cartersville. Morgan County (32-12) is seeking its third title in four years. Hebron Christian (47-2) is riding a 40-game win streak.
Schedule
Wednesday
- Class A: Bremen vs. Oglethorpe County, noon
- Class 3A: Cherokee Bluff vs. Whitewater, 2:30 p.m.
- Private: Hebron Christian vs. Lovett, 5 p.m.
- Class 5A: Woodward Academy vs. McIntosh, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
- Class 2A: Morgan County vs. Ringgold, 2 p.m.
- Class 4A: Pace Academy vs. Marist, 4:30 p.m.
- Class 6A: Alpharetta vs. Walton, 7 p.m.
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
