Newton County’s volleyball team developed a motto for the 2023 season: “All Gas, No Brakes.”
Head coach Matthew Beasley said that motto was something they came up with a few weeks into the season as a way to come together. He knew the Lady Cougars were solid on defense, but they needed to take the next step and take the same intensity they had on defense with their offense.
“If anybody's ever watched us, it doesn't matter if the ball's in the bleachers or not; the girls are on that gas pedal and going to try to get it,” Beasley said.
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The team embraced that, and it showed as the team went all gas all the way to the state championship. In fact, Newton County didn’t drop a set after falling down 2-1 to Tishomingo County.
It was in fact that game on Lady Braves’ home floor that gave Newton County the belief they could win a state title.
Three years ago, many of the girls on Newton County’s volleyball team had never even touched a volleyball in their lives.
However, those same girls are now the reigning state champions in MHSAA Class 4A.
Brelie Phillips was one of those players, but over those three years, she’s seen how the team has come together and grown together.
“They (my teammates) mean so much to me, and our chemistry's amazing and we all love each other,” Phillips said. “Adeline, she's always picking us up, telling us that we got the next point, keep it up and all that. And Z's always making sure that we're not down. She's always like, you got the next point. They're awesome.”
