The city of Atlanta is famous — infamous, really — for its bad luck in sports. Not daunted, however, by any seeming negative force field surrounding “the ATL,” the North Atlanta varsity volleyball team decided to make its own luck during its very successful 2020 season. 

The dominant team — one of the strongest squads in school history — won its region and advanced in the state tournament all the way to the coveted “Elite Eight” in the playoff tournament. Led by its strong seniors — Maddie Bartlett, Emilie Jacobus, Katie Jacobus and Honor Crandall — the team will long be remembered. The team’s grit and skill combined with an unbreakable team bond among teammates. The team’s record this year was 14-10 and also an impressive 5-1 in region play.  

Their lighthearted approach to life and hustle on the court has made for an unstoppable mindset. After beating every team in their region and losing only to Lakeside they went into the 2020 GHSA Volleyball State Championship AAAAAA, a tournament that started on Oct. 21. Entering the event which was held at the higher-ranked team’s home, the team went into the tournament with high hopes and the strongest Dub squad ever. “We were so good this year and I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was,” said Bartlett, “Because we played the whole season while our school was in remote-education status, there were a lot of worries about how everything would turn out.” 

The playoff matches were tough and required long practices. In spite of the competitive hazards, the Warriors still prevailed. It wasn’t until a Oct. 28 match-up against always-strong Pope – the reigning state champs – that the Dubs season finally came to an end. During that series of matches, Pope won three successive matches. It was a tough ask for the Dubs to get the dub, but the Warriors still gave their all and went down fighting. “They had pre-made shirts for the Final Four and we didn’t, if that tells you anything about Pope’s confidence,” said Junior Franice Coleman.

Said with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes, it was the last match for the team’s seniors, a dynamic group that will be dearly missed next year. However, there is still a long way to go for next year’s team and the goal for the program is for North Atlanta to one day hoist a state championship trophy. The team gives its thanks to the incredible coaches, parents, and supporters who pushed this team to do their best. As to whether teams in upcoming years can match the strong run of the 2020 North Atlanta volleyball team will remain to be seen. But in the meantime, there’s always this: Go Dubs!