HONAKER (Oct. 13, 2026) – It has been a rough volleyball season for the Lady Tigers, to say the least.
Honaker (1-16, 0-7 HOGO) entered Tuesday’s match-up as losers of their last nine, looking for their first Hogoheegee District win. Chilhowie (17-5, 6-1 HOGO) was on the opposite end of the spectrum, looking to keep pace with league-leading Patrick Henry.
The Warriors rolled to a dominant 25-15, 25-14, 25-18 victory on Misty Davis Miller Court in A.P. Baldwin Gymnasium.
“My girls came in tonight, and it was as if our batteries were dead,” Honaker coach Lindsey Marshall said. “I told them after the second set that we didn’t show up in the first and second sets. You have to be ready to play. They woke up a little in the third, but it was too late to get anything going.”
Chilhowie led from the start in the first set. The Tigers’ first lead came on a Warriors service error to start the second set. Chilhowie took the lead at 2-1 and never relinquished it, going up quickly 2-0 in the game.
“Chilhowie has a good bunch. I won’t take anything away from them,” Marshall stated. “They work hard, and it shows.”
The third set was full of ups and downs. It tied at 15 for the sixth and final time on a Warriors attack error. Honaker was called for being over the line to give Chilhowie the lead, and they won nine of the final 12 points for the sweep.
“I have a very young team this year,” said Chilhowie coach Laura Robinson. “I have only two seniors and two freshmen, with everyone else in between. They’ve been working hard to step up and fill the spots left by last year’s four seniors. We’re hoping they can finish strong, too.”
Was Robinson pleased with her team’s performance?
“Yes and no. We did some good things tonight, including some things we’ve been working on,” stated Robinson. “There were also some things where we were a little lax. I don’t think we had our best serving game. We’ve been serving better lately, but maybe that’s because they’re trying to place the ball instead of just serving it. We’ve got a good team. They work well together, and they keep pushing themselves to get better.”
JuJu Farmer led the Tigers with six kills and two blocks.
“Juju can be one of my standouts,” commented Marshall. “I want her to be a little more aggressive, and that’s what we’re working on every day in practice. I want her to really be big at the net. She could dominate at the net if she wants to, so we’re just trying to bring that out of her.”
It was hard for Honaker to get the ball down with the strong defense of the Warriors. Libero Rilynn Copeland (12 digs), Kenley Hill (seven digs), and Maddie Williams (six digs) were on the court most of the night.
“We’ve been working hard on defense, trying to get ready for Patrick Henry and Northwood,” Robinson noted. “They’ve got some good hitters, so we’re just trying to get ready for them.”
Kenley Hill, only a freshman, directed the offense with 38 assists. Junior Raegan Jones (16 kills, two blocks), sophomore Rylee Hill (11 kills), and Williams (11 kills) controlled the net.
Has the success of the young Warriors surprised Robinson?
“They came on strong. They were strong from the start,” remarked Robinson. “They work hard and have worked hard throughout middle school and JV. They were ready for this, so I expected them to do well, and I expect it to continue.”
With a week remaining in the regular season, Honaker is still searching for win number two.
“I know the record doesn’t show it, but we are improving,” Marshall noted. “That’s what I’ve tried to tell them. I don’t want the record to define their season. They’re a young bunch, and they can be competitive. I think this year was definitely a growing year.
“I can see progress every day. I know the record may not look like it, but they’re putting in the work and coming to practice every day to get better.”
