Johns Creek Volleyball Continues Their Strong Start To The Season With Two More Wins at Lambert
Just two days after opening their season with a hard-fought loss and a bounce-back victory, the Johns Creek Lady Gladiators returned to the court Thursday, August 13, traveling to Lambert High School for another doubleheader against Lambert and Creekview. By the end of the night, Johns Creek had once again proven its ability to respond, compete, and grow— sweeping both opponents in two sets and improving its overall season record to 3-1.
A Focused Response Against Lambert
Following Tuesday's opening-night matches, the message at Wednesday's practice was clear: serve receive needed attention. The Lady Gladiators devoted the entire practice to sharpening that first contact, and the work paid off immediately when they returned to the court against Lambert.
Johns Creek earned a hard-fought two-set victory, taking the first set 25-20 before holding on to a thrilling 26-24 finish in the second.
“The girls were very clearly determined to redeem themselves in their performance on serve receive,” Coach Katie Scott said. “They came out laser focused and it showed!”
The improvement in serve receive was evident throughout the match, allowing the Lady Gladiators to play with greater confidence and consistency. Hana Catic led the team with seven kills and a 2.38 passing percentage, while Sara Buoni added five kills. Layla Mujahid contributed three kills at a .400 efficiency along with two blocks, and Caroline Giles delivered four kills and four aces. Jia Kim added three aces and 13 assists, while Kyleigh Shores posted a 2.25 passing percentage in serve receive.
Beyond the technical improvements, the match highlighted the team's developing mental toughness. The second set, in particular, provided a test of composure as Johns Creek and Lambert battled through a tightly contested finish. Rather than allowing the pressure of a close score to disrupt their focus, the Lady Gladiators persevered and found a way to close out the set.
The result was more than another win—it was a clear demonstration of how quickly this team can identify an area for improvement, put in the work, and translate that work into results.
Energy Carries Johns Creek Past Creekview
After securing the win over Lambert, Johns Creek returned to the court for its second match of the night against Creekview High School. The Lady Gladiators carried the momentum
from their first victory into the matchup, bringing an energy that Coach Scott described as contagious.
That energy was evident in the final scores.
Johns Creek controlled the match from the opening serve, winning 25-12 in the first set before closing out the night with a 25-19 victory in the second. The two-set sweep gave the Lady Gladiators their second win of the evening and their third victory of the young season.
The team once again showcased a balanced offensive and defensive effort. Buoni led the way with nine kills at an impressive .533 efficiency, along with two aces and two blocks. Catic added nine kills and six digs while posting a 2.60 passing percentage in serve receive. Giles contributed seven digs and a 2.07 passing percentage, while Kim recorded three kills, nine digs, and 17 assists. Evie Sinotte also made a defensive impact with six digs.
A Team Growing in Confidence and Chemistry
While the statistics and final scores tell the story of two decisive victories, the players' reflections on the night reveal an even more encouraging development: the team is beginning to play with greater trust, confidence, and freedom.
Catic noted the difference between Tuesday's performance and Thursday's matches, saying, “Our play on Tuesday felt stressed, but today felt much more relaxed, which allowed us to keep our energy high and emphasize on the good things as a team.”
Buoni underlined the importance of embracing mistakes rather than allowing them to become a source of hesitation. “Volleyball is one of those games where it's impossible not to make mistakes, but today, the mistakes we made were aggressive, which I think had an overall positive impact on team morale even in close/stressful moments.”
For Kim, the team's growing trust was especially noticeable on the court. “It felt nice on the court! Everyone was playing relaxed, and it was clear that we are starting to trust each other more.”
Mary Grace Crawford echoed that sentiment, highlighting the team's ability to balance accountability with positivity: “We held each other accountable while still maintaining a positive and focused attitude.”
A Night of Growth
Thursday's results were impressive on their own, but the bigger takeaway was the way Johns Creek responded to the challenges of its opening night. After identifying serve receive as an area that needed improvement, the team committed to addressing it in practice and immediately saw the benefits. The Lady Gladiators then carried that
confidence into two matches, navigated experimental lineup changes with composure, and continued to find ways to support one another.
