Lafayette volleyball kicks off their North Half title defense on Saturday as they face Greenville at home in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Lady Commodores (13-11, 3-1 Region 1-5A) came just a few sets away from winning the district title, but a sweep at the hands of Lake Cormorant on Sept. 29 dropped them to second place and cost them a first-round bye.

They bounced back from the tough loss with a surprising upset of reigning 6A champion Brandon on Monday however as they knocked off the Bulldogs in a three-set thriller in Monday’s tri-match with Brandon and crosstown rival Oxford.

Head coach Taylor Elliott said the win over Brandon provided a much-needed confidence boost for her squad as they begin their North Half title defense—adding that their scrappy play in the match is exactly the kind of effort she is looking for.

“I’m just hoping to see them play scrappy again and play as good teammates. If we do that and we put up a fight, win or lose, I’ll be happy to go into the playoffs with that mentality,” Elliott said.

They now face off against a Greenville squad that struggled to compete in a strong Class 5A North Half.

The Hornets went 0-4 in Region 3-5A as they were swept two times a piece by Cleveland Central and Holmes County Central.

Lafayette has not faced Greenville since making the jump to 5A in 2019, but they should have no problem with the Hornets if they can play clean defense and limit their mistakes.

The Lady ‘Dores will kick things off against the Hornets at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Lafayette High School gymnasium.