From staff reports

LaGRANGE, Ga. - Some wins just feel better than others. Such was the case with Spalding High’s 3-2 Sweet-16-round win Monday against LaGrange in Girls Class AAA state playoffs.

LaGrange had tripped up Spalding in the Elite 8 the past two seasons.

It wasn’t to be this time. While SHS has had many more dominant wins this season, there have been few, if any, that were quite as sweet as Monday’s.

Scoring points for Spalding were: Elizabeth Turner 7-5, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, Caroline Dallas 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and Laura Ann Mabbett and Morgan Drake 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

Mabbett and Drake notched the first point of the day in quick order before Dallas put her team up 2-0.

“We were up 2-0 for an hour and had to wait,” said first-year SHS head coach Ashley Johnson.

Then LaGrange scored a point at No. 1 doubles. Turner than notched the match with her win at No. 2 singles moments before the No. 1 singles match ended in LaGrange’s favor. The win lifts Spalding into the Elite 8 round of the Class AAA state playoffs for the third year in a row and for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Spalding - which will be gunning to reach the Final Four for the first time in team history - will be on the road Monday against the winner of Savannah-based Richmond Hill and Albany-based Westover.