Lady Mavs’ run ends at Dobyns-Bennett
Anderson County’s Delaney Long makes a play on the ball during the Lady Mavericks’ postseason match. (photo:Jen Clotfelter | ACHS )
“I’m so proud of these girls, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything,” Smith said after the Lady Mavericks were swept by Dobyns-Bennett 25-14, 25-6, 25-13 on Thursday night in Kingsport.
“I’m not disappointed,” she said. “We made it further than most people thought we would. We got off to a slow start, but we played well later in the season and got better.”
Anderson County (23-17) claimed the District 3-AAA tournament championship as the No. 5 seed, upsetting Oak Ridge, top-seeded Knoxville Central and two-time defending champion Clinton along the way.
The Lady Mavericks finished as Region 2-AAA runners-up, defeating Maryville on its home floor in the semifinals before falling to powerhouse William Blount in the title match.
The Lady Governors, who entered the sectional round with a 40-1 record, were later eliminated at home by Science Hill.
“We had to make a long trip up there, and that’s always hard,” Smith said. “That’s why you want to win the region—so you can play that match at home.”
This season marked Anderson County’s first in Class AAA after years of dominance in Class AA. The Lady Mavericks were seeking their 20th trip to the state tournament in Murfreesboro and their first at the higher classification.
“Our district was tough, and the whole region is tough,” Smith said. “When you move up to AAA, it’s a whole different ballgame. I coached in that when I was at Oak Ridge, and it was always tough. Their athletic director told us Dobyns-Bennett has 2,600 students—it’s just a different level of competition.”