Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Columbus High volleyball team plays for Class AAA state title today against Woodward Academy

Play 2008 champ Woodward Acad.

By LARRY GIERER

lgierer@ledger-enquirer.com

Donna Fleming is not looking for a hero today.

“It can’t be about one person making the plays,” said the Columbus High volleyball coach. No heroes. It has to be about teamwork.”

That’s how her 2007 team won the Georgia High School Association Class AAA state championship, defeating Sandy Creek.

Today at Marietta High, Columbus plays again for the state AAA title, having beaten St. Pius last week.

The opponent is Woodward Academy, which won the AAA championship last year.

“We have to play steady and consistent,” Fleming said. “We can’t win on emotion. We have to win with skills.”

The foe is a familiar one.

Columbus lost to Woodward in the playoffs last year and fell to Woodward this season in August. Columbus’ Kristen Fleming, the coach’s daughter, plays with a couple of Woodward girls on a same travel squad in club play.

“Woodward is a very solid team,” Fleming said. “They have good ball control and some big outside hitters.”

Fleming said her team is better than the one that fell to Woodward two months ago.

“We have improved dramatically,” she said.

The biggest improvement has been in net play. Passing is much better, too.

Columbus, the Area 2 champion, is led by three senior players.

Ashleigh Tompa is a right-side hitter and named by the state’s volleyball coaches to the Georgia Senior All-Stars as one of the top players in the state among all classes. “She’s a smart player with good hitting power,” Fleming said.

Also making the Georgia Senior All-Stars is Ashley Foreman, a defensive specialist.

“She leads the state with more than 600 digs,” Fleming said.

Giving Columbus strength from the left side is Elizabeth Copeland. “She has lot of power,” the coach said.

Kristen Fleming, a junior, leads the state in assists.

“We’ve got talent; so does Woodward,” Fleming said. “It’s best three out of five. I’m telling the girls to be prepared to go five games. “

The championship will be played at 1:30 p.m. in the Marietta High School Gym, as it has the past couple of years.

“I remember walking in the gym two years ago, and there on the wall it read, ‘Home of the Blue Devils.’ We liked that.”

If Columbus wins, it will be the second state championship for Columbus High this month. The softball team beat Northside for the championship.

“We were competing, and all the girls were texting to find out how the softball team was doing,” Fleming said. “Columbus High athletes support each other.”