MURFREESBORO — Eagleville's spent the night before its TSSAA volleyball state championship match with some anxious energy.
Not many wanted to sleep. Their thoughts kept creeping toward the season's finale.
They simply didn't want to wait.
In the fourth game of its Class A state title match, Eagleville put away a kill that Merrol Hyde couldn't return as the Lady Eagles captured the program's second straight state championship, 3-1, on Oct. 23 at MTSU's Murphy Center.
"There was definitely some eagerness before the the day started," Eagleville junior Campbell Leathers said. "We all just kept saying, 'we want to play, we want to play'. We just didn't feel like waiting. We wanted to play right away."
That anxious energy may have morphed into some nervousness
through the first three games as Eagleville pulled out a pair of 26-24 wins in the first two games before Merrol Hyde responded with a third game, 25-20, win. But Eagleville's dominance this season — with a 44-6 record — showed in the fourth as punished Merrol Hyde, winninng emphatically, 25-7.
Leathers was named the championship game MVP after collecting 16 kills and six blocks. This year's title was a different experience for the outside hitter than in 2025.
"I got trampled at the bottom of the dogpile," Leathers said. "So that was new. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. We've worked so hard this year to repeat and to get it done, means a lot."
Eagleville was the favorite coming into the state tournament. It dominated its first two opponents, sweeping matches against Halls and Chattanooga School for Liberal Arts. Merrol Hyde was the first team in the tournament to take a game from the Lady Eagles. That third game loss seemed to awaken Eagleville.
"These girls have found a way to put together points and ultimately win games during challenging moments," Eagleville coach Deanna Freise said. "It's really a tribute to their focus. They may have had a little bit of nerves going into this match, but it's a big stage and they want to play big. They didn't want to disappoint."
Kaylen Baker had eight kills and six digs in the win while Harper Bugg added seven kills. Merrol Hyde (20-7) was led by Gentry Hansen's 15 kills and 16 digs while Jena Wright added 13 kills and nine digs.
Eagleville-Merrol Hyde is the first of three state championship matches that is being played on Oct. 23. Valor Prep faces Dyer County in the Class AA state title. That match will be followed by the AAA championship that features Franklin vs Science Hill at 4 p.m.
Reach The Tennessean's high school sports editor, George Robinson, at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why another TSSAA volleyball state championship was never in doubt for Eagleville
