After getting rolled by Troy in the opening set 25-13, they rallied for a 25-23 win in the second set to tie things up. The Trojans would take the next two sets 25-20, but had to earn every point against Williamson’s hustling defense.

“We were really nervous the first set because, I think, of the district mentality,” said Williamson Head Coach Nicole VanGorden. “I think they just had a lot of jitters, and they definitely rallied back. Our defense really pulled through that second set.”

They led by as much as 20-13 in the second set, before holding off a Troy rally for the 2-point win. They led 3-1 early in the third but saw Troy take a big lead, going up 22-11 at one point. Williamson, though, went on a 9-1 run to make it 23-20 before two Warrior errors - a long serve and a net touch - gave Troy the 5-point win.

The third set was back and forth as Troy led 11-8, then Williamson went up 16-14. An 8-0 run by Troy saw them take a 22-16 lead.

After trading points Williamson tried to claw back but just couldn’t get the run they needed to extend the match.

“I think our defense really stepped up the second, third and fourth sets,” said assistant coach Lindsea Rush. “I think our passing was what really defined us being in that game.”

Their hitting wasn’t quite what it normally was on Tuesday, and the coaches feel if it was where it had been all season they’d still be alive.

After falling down the first set they would take a 17-10 lead in the second set. Troy would cut it to 17-12, but an Abby Gehman kill, followed by a Troy hit that was out made it a 7-point match again.

The two teams then traded points before the Trojans rattled off five straight to make it a 1-point set at 20-19.

Leah Earle ended that run with a kill, followed by a Troy attack being out, giving Williamson a 3-point cushion.

Two Kali Ayres hits around an Alli Bailey ace saw Troy tie the match up at 22-all. However, back to back Troy errors gave the Warriors the win.

In the second set a kill by Gehman and an ace out of Bailey Snyder put Williamson up 3-1. After the two teams traded points Troy went on a 4-0 run, thanks to a Bailey ace and an Ayres kill, to go up 7-4.

Williamson would cut the lead to 8-7 on an Earle ace another 5-0 Troy run put them up 13-7. They got two kills from Marlee Stanton, one from Josie Kerrick, and an ace out of Ayres during that stretch.

After a Troy hit into the net ended that streak Troy went on a 5-2 spurt power by points from Andrus off a block and a kill, but also two Williamson hitting errors.

Three straight Williamson errors would see Troy’s lead balloon to 22-11. That’s when Troy started making mistakes, beginning with a long serve. That was followed by a cup call and a double touch to make it 22-14 Trojans.

A long Williamson serve put Troy two points away from the win, but the Warriors weren’t done as they rattled off six straight points, thanks to kills out of Madisen Jones and Gehman, along with back-to-back aces by Earle.

However, Earle’s next serve was out, making it 24-20, then Williamson was called for a net touch violation, giving Troy the 25-20 win.

Neither team got much footing early in the fourth set, with things tied up 4-4. Earle had a kill and a block after that to put the Warriors up 6-4.

The two teams would then trade points before the Trojans scored five straight. Ayres had a kill during that stretch, while the Warriors had two hits and a free ball land out.

Troy would return the favor with a long serve, followed by Kerrick getting a hit that landed on the back line to make it 11-8.

Raegan VanGorden and Sophia Sargent had back to back kills for Williamson to cut it to 11-10. After a Warriors’ passing error they went on a 3-0 run as they got kills from Gehman and Sargent, along with an ace out of Snyder, to make it 13-12.

The two traded points in serving errors after, with Williamson taking a 15-13 lead thanks to a Sargent hit.

After trading points again off errors, Andrus began to rally Troy with a kill, followed by Kerrick block, which tied things up. Back to back Williamson balls that landed out put Troy up 18-16, and the Trojans took it from there.

Ayres had a kill, Bailey notched an ace, Kerrick had a block, and then Ayres had another kill to put the Trojans up 22-16.

A Trojan service error ended the run, but Williamson gave the point back with a passing error. A kill from Gehman and a block out of Aubrey Wells saw the Warriors cut it to 23-19.

However, Kerrick would put the Trojans 1-point away from the district final with a block.

Gehman kept Williamson’s hopes alive with a kill, but it was Ayres sending Troy through with a the final kill for the 25-20 win.

Raegan VanGorden finished with 21 assists, 17 digs, two kills and 11 points with two aces for the Warriors, while Earle had four kills, 11 digs and 10 points with four aces. 

Gehman added nine kills and a block, Sargent had four kills, three digs and a block and Joelie Stephens had 24 digs. Bailey Snyder and Olivia Gee each had six service points with Gee adding nine digs and Snyder with 14 digs and Aubrey Wells and Madisen Jones each had a pair of kills with Wells adding a blocked shot.

Williamson finishes the 2024 season with a 13-5 overall record, including an 11-4 mark in the NTL and a 7-3 record in the small school division.