By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – Coosa Valley had seen Macon East before this season. Twice, actually. The first time the two teams met was the first night of the season, back in August, when Macon East beat the Lady Rebels 25-23, 26-24 in a close match. The second time wasn’t as close, and Macon East won in three sets, but these two teams had grown accustomed to each other over the course of the season. So when the two met in the AISA AA Final Four in Montgomery on Oct. 22, the Lady Rebels knew full well what was coming.

“We played them twice, the first time we played them we lost by two points in both sets that we played them,” Coosa Valley head coach Jamie Gill said after the match. “And then the second time we played them we didn’t play as well, we were kind of off that weekend. So we knew what to expect, we knew they were going to be hard hitters, and we had to play some defense and we had to be aggressive.”

For the most part, the strategy worked. Both teams played an aggressive, fast paced, heavy-hitting style in the semifinal match, but in the end, Macon East got the better of the Lady Rebels by a five-set, 25-23, 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-6 final.

The first three sets were evenly matched. Kalei Merrifield carried the offensive load for Coosa Valley, rising up time and again close to net, delivering punishing kill after punishing kill against the Lady Knights. After the first three sets, all decided by two points, Coosa Valley began to tire, and couldn’t keep up its early prodigious scoring pace. The final two sets were never really in question, as Macon East won sets four and five by a combined total of 35-20.

“For the most part, our game plan was effective,” Gill said. “I feel like we kind of ran out of steam towards the end. I think we’re the only team that’s ever taken them to five sets, so it’s an accomplishment. We’ve never been to the Final Four, this is a huge year for us. My girls worked really hard, they deserve the success they’ve had.”

Coosa Valley finished the season 23-8, and only loses one senior off this team. The Lady Rebels will look to build off this season headed into 2016.