Riverwood's volleyball team defeated Newnan in the first round of the GHSA Class 6A State Playoffs on Saturday, Oct. 17, advancing to the Sweet 16.
The Raiders hosted the 3 p.m. match at Riverwood, where they entered as the No. 1 seed out of Region 7-6A. The Riverwood Athletics department announced the win on social media shortly after the final point, writing, "On to Round 2 of the GHSA State Playoffs!"
Riverwood won by a final score of 3-2.
The victory follows a strong regular season for the program. Riverwood earned the top seed in Region 7-6A after a fall that included a second-place finish at the Fulton County Tournament, according to the school's athletics website. As the No. 1 seed, the Raiders hosted the region tournament at Riverwood in early October, receiving a first-round bye before playing their semifinal and championship matches on their home court, according to the region tournament bracket.
Before the region tournament, Coach E rallied the Riverwood community in a message posted to the athletics site. "Bring the parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, neighbors, teachers, classmates … EVERYBODY! We need to PACK THE STANDS!" Coach E wrote. "The girls feed off ENERGY, and sometimes when they can't find it from within, they need to feel it coming from the people in those stands."
The playoff win adds to the program's postseason history. Riverwood's volleyball team won the state championship in 2001 under Hall of Fame Coach Leigh Hudson and reached the state title match in both 2000 and 2002. The school honored members of that championship squad earlier this season during Senior Night, with Athletic Director PJ Graybeck and Principal Dr. Kindra Smith joining alumni Karla Kaminski, Alexandra Rios, Mara Matos, Sarah Zahedi, Arden Davis and Allison McGee for the ceremony.
The Raiders host Woodward Academy on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m in Round 2.
