News
Four DeKalb Volleyball Teams Advance to the Sweet 16 of the State Playoffs
Dunwoody's Morgan Speice (3) and teammate Mary kate Kotzin work together at the net. The pair and their Dunwoody teammates are playing in the Class 6A Sweet 16 on [...]
Nine DeKalb Volleyball Teams Qualify for State Tournament Action
Clarkston's Kyla Mullins (29) and Sajourner Thompson (12) go up to block against Druid Hills' Aizja Rawls (10). Both teams are headed to the state playoffs on Saturday. (Photo [...]
Chamblee Rallies Past Dunwoody for Spikefest Gold Championship
The Chamblee Lady Bulldogs win third Spikefest title with come-back win over the Dunwoody Wildcats. High school girls’ volleyball is underway as the sixth annual DCSD Spikefest Volleyball [...]
Sixth Annual DCSD Spikefest Returns to Pool Play for Qualifying
Chamblee set to defend 2018 Spikefest Title. Pool play comes back to the sixth annual DeKalb County Spikefest Volleyball Tournament this season to determine qualifiers for the championship [...]
Chamblee Fall in Elite 8 to No. 1 ranked McIntosh
The Region 5-5A champions Chamblee Lady Bulldogs reached the Class 5A Elite Eight for the third consecutive season and set a school second best record of 41-7. (Photo by [...]
Chamblee Sweeps Decatur 3-0 in Close Sweet 16 State Playoff Match
Juniors Jade Watson (25) and Becca Evans (7) were named to the GACA Junior Volleyball All-Star game this week as they lead the Lady Bulldogs against the No. 1 [...]
Chamblee Is Lone Survivor for DeKalb in Volleyball State Playoffs
Chamblee junior Becca Evans, an All-Area 5-5A selection, leads her Lady Bulldog teammates against Decatur on Tuesday at Chamblee in the Class 5A Sweet 16 round of the state [...]
Eight DeKalb Teams Playing in State Playoffs on Saturday
Clarkston's Paw Thaw (right) and Sajourner Thompson (left) led Clarkston to the Lady Angoras' second consecutive state playoff appearance and a school record 21 wins. (Photo by Mark Brock) [...]
Lady Bulldogs Three-Peat as Area 5-5A Volleyball Champions
Seven Teams Punch Tickets to State Playoffs 2018 Area 5-5A Champions -- Chamblee Lady Bulldogs The No. 2 ranked Chamblee Lady Bulldogs made it a three-peat ass the [...]
No. 2 Ranked Chamblee Hosting Area 5-5A Volleyball Tournament
The No. 2 ranked and 36-6 Chamblee Lady Bulldogs host the Area 5-5A volleyball tournament tonight and tomorrow. Tonight's action starts at 5:00 pm. The all-DeKalb County Area [...]
Lady Bulldogs Add another Piece of Tourney Hardware to the Trophy Case
The Chamblee Lady Bulldogs improved to 12-0 with six consecutive wins on the way to the title of the Arcadia Invitational at North Forsyth last weekend. Chamblee is [...]
Chamblee Knocks Off Decatur for 2018 Spikefest Title
2018 DCSD SPIKEFEST CHAMPIONS -- CHAMBLEE LADY BULLDOGS The Chamblee Lady Bulldogs broke a string of three consecutive runners-up finishes in the 5th Annual DeKalb County Spikefest Volleyball [...]
Scenes from the 2018 DCSD Spikefest
All-Tournament performer Erin Carpenter of Chamblee. (Photo by Mark Brock) Cedar Grove's Nataasha Umweni (front) makes a return while teammate Ashlee Finnie yells encouragement. The Chamblee [...]
Spikefest Set to Crown One Champion in 2018
Junior Becca Evans was a Spikefest All-Tournament selection in 2017 and returns to lead Chamblee in 2018. (Photo by Mark Brock) The fifth annual DCSD Spikefest Volleyball Tournament [...]
Chamblee Sweeps into Elite Eight with 3-0 Win over Decatur
Chamblee's Jade Watson (2) goes for the kill against Decatur in the Lady Bulldogs Sweet 16 victory of the Class 5A state playoffs. (Photo by Mark Brock) The [...]
Chamblee Sweeps Rome 3-0 to Advance to Class 5A Sweet 16
Chamblee's Erin Carpenter (front) makes a dig against Rome while teammates Anna McDaniel (6) and Kennedy Preval (22) are ready to help out. (Photo by Mark Brock) The [...]
DeKalb Places 10 Teams in State Volleyball Playoffs
All-Area 5-5A selection Rachel Loftus is ready to serve in the state playoffs. (Photo by Mark Brock) The No. 8/10 ranked Chamblee Lady Bulldogs and nine other DeKalb [...]
Redan Repeats as Spikefest Silver Bracket Champions
Redan Lady Raiders sweep to second consecutive Silver Bracket title in the 4th Annual DCSD Spikefest. The Redan Lady Raiders won four consecutive matches on the way to [...]
Chamblee, Redan Hosting DCSD Spikefest Tournaments this Weekend
Chamblee's Rachel Loftus (10) sets up teammate Hannah Cain (12) at the net during playoff action in 2016. (Photo by Mark Brock) The fourth annual DCSD Spikefest Volleyball [...]
Chamblee Sweeps Harris Co. 3-0 to Advance to the Elite 8
Chamblee's Cana Dee goes up for a game-clinching kill against Harris County. (Photo by Mark Brock) Chamblee overcame some stout play by Harris County on the way to [...]
History
Chamblee’s Nikki Hawkins (9) was the 2005 Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.
DeKalb County Schools returned to the volleyball court in the fall of 2000 after two decades of not participating. The schools had fielded both boys’ and girls’ team from the late 1960s until the sport was dropped following the 1980 season.
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) sanctioned the state tournament in 1993, but it would not be until that 2000 season before DeKalb County would begin fielding girls’ volleyball teams once again.
Lakeside stood out early on by winning the 7-AAAAA title four consecutive seasons (2000-2003). Druid Hills won the 5-AAAA title in 2003 to 2004 by compiling a 69-19 record. The Lady Red Devils had four consecutive winning seasons from 2001 to 2004, including at the time a county best record of 41-7 in 2003.
Improvement in the play of the DeKalb County Schools is starting to show with 9 teams finishing with winning records in 2004 following 8 teams in both 2002 and 2003.
DeKalb began to make some noise in the state tournament beginning with Chamblee’s run to the Class AAAA state semifinals in 2005. Brook Kline’s Lady Bulldogs set the county record for wins with a 56-8 record that season behind the play of 2005 Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year Nikki Hawkins before falling to three-time defending state champion Woodward Academy.
Dunwoody captured the 2005 Area 5-AAA title and just missed out on a final four appearance to go with Chamblee’s sectional championship and final four appearance. Chamblee compiled a 138-56 record between 2002 and 2005 under the direction of Kline.
The 2012 and 2013 seasons would bring two more Final Four appearances to DeKalb County. Lakeside reached the Class AAAAA semis in 2012 behind the direction of Angela Thompson to become the first team since Chamblee to reach the Final Four. Lakeside fell to eventual state champ Whitewater in the semifinals as the only non-Area 4-AAAAA team left in the state tournament. The Lady Vikings finished 29-7 on the season as area champions and were one of five DeKalb teams to earn playoff berths.
Dunwoody reached three consecutive Final Fours from 2013 to 2015.
Dunwoody gave the county its first back-to-back Final Four appearances since returning to action in 2000. The Lady Wildcats, under the direction of Coach Doug Friedlander and assistant coach Nikki Hawkins (Chamblee’s 2005 Player of the Year), finished the regular season 22-23.
The post season got off to a roaring start with the Lady Wildcats bringing home the area championship during a seven match win streak to reach the Class AAAAA Final Four in 2013. Dunwoody fell to eventual state runner-up Sequoyah in the semifinals to finish 29-24 on the season.
The Lady Wildcats would extend their Final Four streak to three consecutive seasons advancing to the 2014 and 2015 Class 5A Final Fours falling in close semifinal matches both years.