Buford volleyball coach Hadli Daniels had every reason to expect her team's return to the state semifinals in 2016.
The 2015 Class AAAA champions returned all but one senior from the program's first state title-winning side, including a number of collegiate-bound talent.
On the other hand, North Hall's Emi Hughes had seen her team reach the cusp of the "Final Four" on numerous occasions only to fall short. And yet the Lady Trojans coach held a similarly firm belief: this year could be special.
On Wednesday, each program will look to continue that special pace, as each does battle in their respective classification's semifinals.
For North Hall, which finally broke into the Final Four last week via a 3-0 quarterfinal sweep of Greater Atlanta Christian, it will be a moment for the history books -- but the Lady Trojans are far from awed.
"It's exciting; the girls are thrilled -- but they're not content," said Hughes, whose fourth-seeded North Hall will travel to face top-seeded Westminster at 6 p.m. in Atlanta. "They like the taste of success, and they want to make a statement that we've got good volleyball here (in northeast Georgia) and can compete with anyone in the state."
It was that type of attitude -- allied to talent and work ethic -- that gave Hughes such high hopes for 2016.
"This team put in the work in the offseason; they seem to be really driven to be successful, and they want to be the best," Hughes said. "As a coach you know when you have certain groups that are going to be successful, and these girls are like that -- even though they're mostly juniors and freshmen."
Players like Lily Paschall, Melissa DeVerter and Autumn Tucker possess ability and drive and -- perhaps most important -- have made volleyball a year-round pursuit.
"I've been working on these girls since sixth grade, and they have sold out to volleyball 100 percent," Hughes said. "You have to do that to compete with the private schools that you face at this level, and it's translated really well for us."
Indeed, North Hall already took out GAC in both the Area 7-AAA championships and Class AAA quarterfinals, and North Hall enters the semifinal against top-seeded Westminster bubbling with optimism.
"We're going to have to play great defense and not make errors; we know we're facing a really good team," Hughes said. "But the level of volleyball my girls are playing, I'd put them up against anyone right now."
The Lady Trojans are very familiar with the Lady Wildcats, having battled recently -- falling 25-13, 25-19 -- but North Hall has also elevated its play since then.
"Watching film of that I realized just how different a team we are now," Hughes said. "We have really elevated our play. And we have learned from our losses and been really resilient."
North Hall is eager to put that to its biggest test so far tonight.
Meanwhile, in Class AAAAA, Buford enters the semifinals with the No. 1 seed and its final home match of the season, as it prepares to battle Ola at 6 p.m.
Unlike the Lady Trojans, however, the Lady Wolves enter the Final Four very unfamiliar with its foe, having never faced Ola or a common opponent. That's not too much of a concern for Daniels, however, as the Buford coach says she has prepared her team for just about any scenario.
"We've played a really tough schedule and have had some losses because of that, but that's helped us get better," Daniels said. "And I feel like if we just focus on ourselves and stay aggressive, then we have a chance for success."
The Lady Wolves have grown used to success thanks to a line-up that includes some stellar players that mesh well together.
"They all have different styles; some are vocal, some lead by example, but we've found a way to keep each individual motivated," Daniels said.
When you have standouts like Gatorade Player of the Year Gabby Curry on your team that's a recipe for unbridled success. The University of Kentucky-bound Curry notched her 1,000th dig this season and has plenty of talented teammates to help out, including Avery Cason, Halston Hillier, Tatum Shipes (University of Auburn commit; reached 1,000 kills this season), Morgan Mitchell (3,000 assists this season), Taylor Garrison (Newberry College signee) Jamie Hay and Morgan Mitchell.
"I'm blessed to have a lot of talent, and teams really have had to guess on what we're going to do; they haven't been able to focus on one player," Daniels said. "We tried not to focus on last year; this was a new team and a new year. And the girls have done that. It helps to have the experience of last season. But we wanted to treat this season as something on its own.
"We're playing our best volleyball right now. And that's what you want."
It is another factor the two northeast Georgia-based programs share -- and one they both hope will carry them beyond Wednesday's semifinals and into Saturday's championships.
