Photo :Kevin Eckleberry
and this last year we made it to sweet 16,” Andrews said. One of the seniors, Gracie Corley, said “it’s been a lot of fun” to be a part of this senior class. “It’d be a lot harder to play if you didn’t know them like that,” Corley said. “I’ve been with them since I started high school. I’m so close to them. Even out of school. It’s been a really cool experience.” The 2021 Troup team had its ups and downs, but Corley was proud of the way everyone hung together. “We’ve played really hard, and we stayed together as a team,” Corley said. “That’s really important, making sure your team members don’t get down on themselves. We bring each other up. That’s really great.”
TROUP VOLLEYBALL
As for her time as a Troup volleyball player, Corley said it has gone by in a flash. “It feels like it started yesterday,” Corley said. “It goes by fast, especially your senior season.”
We’ve played really hard, and we stayed together as a team.”
By Kevin Eckleberry
When Anna Andrews arrived at Troup High as a member of the volleyball coaching staff, she was tasked with leading the freshman team. Andrews formed a close relationship with her players, a bond that only grew when she took over as the head coach of the varsity team before the 2020 season. On an October night, an emotional Andrews watched as those players were celebrated on senior night before a game against Glenwood Christian. 56
SIDELINE PASS
The seniors are Lilly Kate Doughman, Berkley Noles, Kirstin Vaughn, Gracie Corley and Olivia Parker. “I coached them on the ninthgrade, junior-varsity, and varsity teams,” Andrews said. “And it’s not just volleyball, but this is my first graduating group as a teacher, too. This senior class is real special to me.” The seniors have been a part of plenty of success over the
years. In 2018, Troup won a thriller against North Oconee to reach the second round of the Class AAAA state playoffs. After not making it to state in 2019, Troup returned to the second round of the playoffs in 2020 after getting a road win over Thomas County Central. “For most of them, the two years they’ve been on varsity, they either got pulled up to play in the sweet 16 (in 2018),
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