Young Lee Academy volleyball team has had its ups and downs

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - With Gray Collegiate Academy’s volleyball team entering the second half of Region 4-AAAAA play, the War Eagles (18-4, 5-0) are in the driver’s seat for a region title, provided they can hold off Blythewood (11-11, 4-1).  “We’re rolling around this time of year, in the second half of region play,” head coach Shonda Wallace said. “We’re looking to finish strong.” Gray last won a championship in 2023, back when the War Eagles were at the AA classification. Now in AAAAA, the War Eagles are excelling. The team lost Courtney Burgess , who now plays at Virginia Tech , and two other seniors. Burgess had 219 kills (3.3 kills per set), 57 blocks and 53 aces last year as the team went 22-5 and a second-place (13-1) finish in Region 4-AAAA. While Burgess left, five out of six starters returned and, with two transfers, have brought the program to a higher level. “Fans will always wonder if we’re as good (without Burgess) because we lost an impact player,” Wallace said. “But I think we’re just as good if not better with our returners and transfers. We’re playing really well together.” The team showed its togetherness early. Gray started the season using a 6-2 offense (two setters, back row only; six hitters) until one of the setters, sophomore Ela Perez , broke her arm. The War Eagles had to return to a 5-1 offense (one setter; universal) with senior Colby Branham as the setter and didn’t miss a beat “She’s used to running the 5-1 from league volleyball and a lot of the girls were used to playing in that offense,” Wallace said. “She’s our setter, and setters don’t get a lot of the glory but they do a lot of the work. They’re the ones who touch the ball every single time. Branham is getting close to 1,000 career assists since becoming a starter in 2025, with 806 as of Oct. 2. Middle hitters Sadie Williamson , a sophomore, and junior Olivia Ford provide a dynamic boost as well as hitting efficiency. Williamson has 96 kills to Ford’s 95, and Ford has 35 blocks to Williamson’s 32. Junior Libero Haylen Lawson battled injuries last year but has played steady, with a team-leading 206 digs to go with 22 aces and 43 assists. Junior Emily Burgess , Courtney’s sister, is a jack-of-all trades on the court. She has 126 kills, a team-leading 163 rotation points, 243 service attempts, 154 digs, and 246 service receptions. “She does everything for us,” Wallace said. “She has to hit, serve, play defense, and she does all of it well.” Junior transfer Peyton Capps , who leads the team in kills with 163 and has 12 blocks, 92 digs and 151 service receptions, provides an extra punch in the lineup. “She is a super dynamic offensive player,” Wallace said. “Really solid for us and adds to the culture.” Senior outside hitters Brianna Jones (31 kills, 29 blocks) and Sasha Hughes (23 kills, 12 blocks) have come into their own this year. “Brianna’s a 6-footer and right-side attacker, and I enjoy seeing the strides she has made,” Wallace said. “She embodies what the right side does, she has to block at the net and she has to put the ball away.” Hughes, who has been on Wallace’s teams since she was a freshman. “She was an integral part in the 6-2 offense, but when the team had to go back to the 5-1, she had to take a lesser role,” Wallace said. “It’s just the way the offense had to change. She has been extremely patient and learned to be OK with her new role, which is when we need her on the court as an offensive threat. She has been such a good teammate through it all.” With just a few games left in the season, Wallace appreciates the team’s focus at this point in region play. “Our goal from the beginning of the year was to win region, but it’s a game-by-game process,” she said. “we’re playing our best volleyball of the season and we’re working to solidify all of our goals that we wanted to reach by the end of the season.”