With the start of the 2024 state volleyball playoffs on Tuesday, 16 northeast Georgia area teams will get under way looking to make a run to state titles.
They hope to have better success than the dozen that advanced to the playoffs in 2023. Only one team -- Jefferson in Class 5A -- managed to make it out of the second round.
The Dragons are back in 2024, this time in Class 3A, and will be the seventh seed as part of new Power Rankings System that seeds Class A to 3A based on the PRS standings.
Overall, including Jefferson, seven area teams will play host in the first round as higher seeds.
Chestatee, which won the Area 6-3A title, takes the No. 2 overall seed in 3A, the highest seeding for area teams. White County is the No. 6 seed in 3A.
Buford will go into the Class 6A tournament as a No. 1 seed after winning 8-6A. Jackson County won Region 8-5A and will also be a No. 1 seed in the Class 5A tournament.
East Forsyth is a No. 2 seed in Class 4A while East Jackson is the No. 8 seed in Class 2A and both also will play host in the opening round.
(See the entire first round schedule below.)
GHSA VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round
(Best-of-five sets match at higher seed)
TUESDAY, Oct. 15
Class 6A
North Forsyth (Region 6, Seed 3) at North Gwinnett (R7, S2), 6 p.m.
Chapel Hill (R2, S4) at Buford (R8, S1), TBD
Class 4A
Eagles Landing (R2, S3) at East Forsyth (R8, S2), 6 p.m.
Class 2A
KIPP (28) at East Jackson (8), TBD
Union County (21) at Redan (12), TBD
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16
Class 5A
Gainesville (R7, S4) at Pope (R6, S1), 6 p.m.
Habersham Central (R8, S3) at Pope (R2, S2), 5 p.m.
Houston County (R2, S4) at Jackson County (R8, S1), 5 p.m.
Class 3A
Cedar Grove (27) at White County (6), TBD
Cherokee Bluff (17) at Whitewater (16), 6 p.m.
Dawson County (29) at West Laurens (4), TBD
Mary Persons (26) at Jefferson (7), 5:30 p.m.
North Hall (18) at Northwest Whitefield (15), 5 p.m.
Southeast Bulloch (31) at Chestatee (2), 5:30 p.m.
Class A
Banks County (19) at Chattooga (14), 4:30 p.m.
Rabun County (29) at Lamar County (4), TBD