Four-Peat Secured: Lake Cormorant sweeps George County for fourth straight state title

Photo: Payton Davis (51) of Lake Cormorant readies to slam a kill against a pair of George County Rebels Friday during the Lady Gators’s MHSAA 6A state championship. (Mary Scott/Oak River Media)

CLINTON, Miss. – The Lake Cormorant volleyball dynasty is showing no signs of slowing down. The Lady Gators secured their fourth consecutive state championship Friday morning, capping a dominant season with a 3-0 sweep (25-17, 25-17, 25-21) over a tough George County Rebels squad for the MHSAA 6A championship. 

The win adds another trophy to an already crowded case, marking the program’s eighth state title overall (2009, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025).

From the first serve, Lake Cormorant established control. An ace from Sofia Gonzalez pushed the Lady Gators to an early 8-3 lead in the first set, forcing a quick George County timeout. The Rebels couldn’t find an answer for the front-net dominance of Gonzalez and Ma’Kayla Hill, and a kill from Morris finished the set 25-17.

The second set was a near-replica of the first. Lake Cormorant jumped to a 4-1 lead, and a massive kill from Gonzalez later made it 18-12. Hill finished the set with a powerful kill, putting the Lady Gators up 2-0 with another 25-17 victory.

George County mounted its strongest challenge in the third set, fighting to keep its season alive. The set was tight, and the Rebels tied the score twice. However, they never managed to take the lead. Lake Cormorant’s composure held, and they methodically pushed to a 25-21 win to clinch the match and the championship.

For Head Coach Christina Morgan, the fourth straight title feels just as special as the first.

“No, it never does,” Morgan said when asked if winning gets old. “They’re so special.”

Morgan attributed this year’s success to a “really unique bond” among her players. “Our thing from the very beginning was staying connected,” she explained. “We realized… that when we stay connected, we play very well together… They play for each other.”

That connection was visible in the play of her stars. “Sophia [Gonzalez], you know, we knew we could get her the ball, and she could put it down… she’s such an athletic player, such a smart player,” Morgan said. “And Ma’Kayla[Hill]’s got so much power. When one goes off the front row, the other one’s coming on, so that keeps that power going.”

Morgan also praised the wider team effort, including Peyton Davis, who stepped up to set for the first time this year.

Morgan showed significant respect for George County, who entered the final after a statement win over Hancock in the South State championship.

“They’re a great team, both offensively and defensively,” Morgan said. “They run a really fast offense. Defensively, they made us work… I knew that we were gonna have to play hard.”

Even when the Rebels tightened the match in the third set, Morgan said she trusted her team. “I didn’t want to [call a timeout],” she recalled. “I knew that if I just gave them a minute, that they were gonna find… that swing.”

The victory solidifies Lake Cormorant’s status as a state powerhouse, a program that has also finished as state runners-up three times (2010, 2017, 2018). For Morgan, the win extends beyond the current roster.

“I told them before the game, ‘You’re playing for each other, but you’re also playing for every player that came before you and every player that’s coming after you,'” Morgan said. “And I think that’s Lake Cormorant volleyball.”

LADY TROJANS FALL IN SUB-STATE ROUND

Northpoint Christian’s attempt to defend its TSSAA Division II-A state championship fell just short Friday afternoon, as Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, Tenn.) defeated the Lady Trojans 3-2. Set scores in the match were 25-23, 18-25, 18-25, 27-25, 15-13.

For the match, Christiana Nolan led Northpoint with 11 kills while Val Hurdle had nine kills. Leah Kirkpatrick scored eight kills and three aces. Avery Beth Freeze served two aces, as did Hurdle. Sarah Johnson finished with 28 assists, 12 digs and three kills. Amaya Wilson contributed four kills and Josey Jones added two kills.

Photos: Credit Mary Scott Oak River Media and Jon Ross Myers, DeSoto County News