Principals from Spring Garden, Cedar Bluff and Gaylesville were to meet today to confirm the tie-breaker procedure needed to determine the site of the Class 1A, Area 10 volleyball tournament. Tournaments for 1A, 2A and 3A schools are tentatively set for Monday, Oct. 12. Spring Garden coach Ricky Austin said Spring Garden would probably ask the AHSAA for permission to play on Tuesday if Spring Gardne is the host school as Oct. 12 is a school holiday at Spring Garden.

Spring Garden followed up its 2-2 performance in Saturday’s Cherokee County volleyball tournament with a solid showing Monday in a home match against the Cherokee County Warriors. Cherokee County won the first game 25-18. In the second game, Spring Garden fell behind 13-0 and eventually lost 25-12. In the third game, the Panthers were close late, trailing only 21-19, before the Warriors won the last four points for a 25-19 victory.

“We played good in games one and three as far as executing,” said Austin.

For the day, Tara Mullinax had six kills and three service aces. Shelby Malone had five blocks and three kills. Lynley Crabb had three kills, Katie Rickman two kills and Kelsey Turner 12 assists.

Prior to the Cherokee County match, Austin made an adjustment to his lineup, inserting Ivy Franklin on the back row for defensive purposes and eighth-grader Allison Horne on the front at outside hitter.

The county tournament, played at Gadsden State-Cherokee’s arena, was deja vous all over again for the Panthers. Spring Garden defeated Cedar Bluff, lost to eventual champion Sand Rock, defeated Cedar Bluff and lost to Sand Rock.

In the tournament’s opening match, Spring Garden downed the Tigers 25-15, 18-25, 15-7. Malone had a big match with 10 kills. Mullinax had six kills. Crabb contributed four kills and four aces. Turner had 20 assists.

In their first meeting of the day, Sand Rock downed Spring Garden 25-14, 25-15. After Cedar Bluff eliminated Gaylesville, Spring Garden and Cedar Bluff played in another elimination bracket game. The Tigers took the first game 25-22 but the Panthers won the second and third games 25-21, 15-8.

Sand Rock then defeated Spring Garden 25-15, 25-11. Turner had seven assists, Malone three kills and Mullinax two kills as Spring Garden finished third in the tournament. The Panthers defeated Gaylesville at Gaylesville on Oct. 1 to throw the Class 1A, Area 10 regular season finish into a three-way tie. Spring Garden won 25-14, 25-12, 25-20. In another part of the tri-match, Gaston bumped Spring Garden 25-11, 25-9.