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The Grace Christian Academy Lady Cougars volleyball team is headed to the quarterfinals after winning in straight sets against John Hancock on Tuesday night.

The Lady Cougars took to the courts and focused on everything they had practiced, Coach Rhonda Wells said.

“They were just super solid and showed a lot of maturity on the court,” Coach Mardi McRae agreed.

Wells said that during the match, a few players stood out. Lainey McRae made good blocks, while Mallorie Jordan had some key digs. Seniors Kate McRae and Caroline Wells also were vital in their keels.

McRae and Wells both said John Hancock did not play the traditional bump, set, spike, so the girls had to really focus on what was coming at them.

The team’s focus showed when balls would dribble off the net.

“They had a lot of patience and did what we practiced,” Wells said. “They would wait for the ball to drop and get a good bump back.”

This focus and patience is what will hopefully get the team to the semi- finals.

Going into the quarterfinals, the Lady Cougars will face off against Harvester Christian at Dominion Christian Academy.

Wells said the team has heard that Harvester has good outside and middle hitters, along with several spot servers.

For this reason, Wells and McRae have focused on spot serving and defense during practices leading up to the match.

Wells is not worried, though. She said she feels like the team has a really good chance of winning the first match and heading to the semi-finals.

Regardless of what happens, Wells said she is extremely proud of them.

“It’s been a great season of watching them progress,” she said. “They have all had a fire and been so fun to watch.”

The quarterfinals will begin at 10:15 a.m. at Dominion Christian in Marietta. If the Lady Cougars win, they will play against the Habersham School in the semi-finals at 12:15.