Everyone was wearing pink
Published 11:18 pm Tuesday, October 1, 2019
By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY
Daily News
Pink was the color of the day.
Troup High’s volleyball team held its Pink Out games on Tuesday, with LaGrange and Brookstone also participating.
The varsity and junior-varsity teams from LaGrange and Troup wore pink uniforms in honor and recognition of cancer victims, and money raised went to Hope for a Day.
Among the hundreds of spectators in attendance were a handful of cancer survivors, and they were warmly greeted before the day’s first match.
“It was awesome,” said Troup head coach Leigh Bailey said. “From beginning to end was great. Having survivors there, and having the stands packed for the girls, because we worked so hard, it was a fun day.”
Bailey added that “it’s just trying to get the community helping each other, and supporting each other.”
In the day’s opening match, LaGrange and Troup played, and it was close.
After hanging on to win the first set 26-24, Troup finished things off by winning the second set 25-19.
The match was much more competitive than the previous meeting between the two rivals.
“I told coach (Angie) Newton, they’re playing a lot better,” Bailey said. “When we played them in their gym, they didn’t play very well at all, but they played good today. They’ve gotten a lot better since they last time we played.”
After Brookstone beat LaGrange in straight sets, Troup and Brookstone played in a match that went the full three sets.
Brookstone won the first set 25-19, and Troup evened the match with a 26-24 victory in the second set.
In the winner-take-all third set, Brookstone beat Troup 15-7.
“They were pumped up, because they know Brookstone is a good team,” Bailey said. “They’re going to get the ball back, and they’re going to hit, so it really helps get the girls talking, and getting them to work together as a team.”
The season has hit the home stretch for LaGrange and Troup.
LaGrange closes the regular season with road matches against Smiths Station on Wednesday and Glenwood on Thursday.
Troup, meanwhile, will host Smiths Station on Monday in its regular-season finale.
LaGrange and Troup will compete in the area tournament on Tuesday at Chapel Hill.