Millbrook’s volleyball team slammed Sun Valley High School in the 4A state championship, winning for the first time since 1995. The girls took Reynolds Coliseum by storm last Saturday, winning the game in straight sets with a record-setting 26 kills from junior, Kiarrah “Kiki” Horne. The energy of the game was unparalleled, and there were plenty of Millbrook students there cheering the girls on. One spectator, junior Nadiya Thompson, said she loved how “no matter what happened, the players were very supportive of each other.”

  It took the team a lot of hard work and dedication to get to be state champions. Throughout the playoffs, they’ve worked on blocking, aggressive serving, and staying focused in all aspects of the game. Their mantra for the year has been “All Gas, No Brakes,” which, according to varsity coach Steven Abbott, “came from my assistant coach, Shelby Parker, who jokingly said the slogan in the huddle and it stuck.”  The chant reminds the girls to never be complacent and stay focused in between sets, which definitely wasn’t an issue for them on Saturday.

  Our volleyball team applied everything they learned throughout the regular season and played one of their strongest games of the year. Even as members of the team go their separate ways, some graduating, some moving on to play other sports in the springtime, Millbrook will continue to be proud of their amazing athletes and excited to see the team’s performance next season.