By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
JoAnna Hunter killed the winning point and the dog pile ensued.
No. 7 Piedmont finished off 10th-ranked Coweta in a three-set sweep (25-17, 25-15, 25-15) Monday night in Piedmont to earn its first-ever trip to the state tournament, setting off an on-court celebration.
Piedmont isn’t satisfied, though.
The Lady Wildcats have wins over fellow state tournament qualifiers Lawton Mac and Carl Albert, which gives them confidence they can advance to Tuesday’s state title match.
No. 7 Piedmont (20-11) will have to clear its first hurdle in the way of that goal – No. 4 Claremore (23-16) – in the quarterfinals at 10 a.m. Monday in Verdigris.
“I really think we have a chance,” head coach Tom Williams said. “I think we’re playing really well right now.”
Getting to this point hasn’t been easy.
When Williams was hired, the program was in dire need of stability. Piedmont had shuffled through five coaches in six seasons with only moderate success on the court. There was talent on the roster, but continuity was lacking.
Now, Piedmont is on the right track.
“It’s been a rather quick process,” Williams said. “We’ve got some really good athletes that have developed their skills and made improvements each season.”
Learning in a loss
A loss to 3A No.1 Community Christian School was the turning point for this season, according to Williams.
“That’s the match they figured they have to play with intensity and focus at all times,” he said. “We realized in that game we could play with anybody.”
Piedmont has won five straight matches since.
Williams the MVP
Kaylie Marshall, Williams said, is Piedmont’s go-to player.
“She’s the one we can go to when we need a point,” he said of the outside hitter. “The other players are doing a lot of good things, but she makes us go.”
Nerves an issue?
Piedmont has only two seniors and no one on the Lady ‘Cats roster has played in the state tournament before. Because of that, Williams expects to relay a calming message before PHS takes the court in Verdigris.
“A lot of times kids can get a little nervous at the state tournament, but I’ll tell them just to treat it like any other match,” he said. “The good thing is, a lot of our kids have played some really big matches for their club teams.”
