The TFS Lady Indians traveled Thursday to Apalachee, earning a win over the host school while dropping a match against Loganville. The original plan included playing Oglethorpe as well, but it backed out of the quad match.
TFS won 2-0 against Apalachee, claiming a 25-21 win in the first set and nailing down the match with a 25-17 second set. Loganville won the second match with a 25-22 first set and a 25-16 second set.
With the win over Apalachee, coach Matt Heyl reached 100 career wins. The team celebrated the occasion, and TFS will recognize Heyl’s milestone victory at the next home match on September 6.
The Lady Indians move to 5-2 overall, and are back in action Saturday in the region-opener against host Commerce and Prince Avenue Christian.
MATCH SCORES:
TFS W 2-0 vs Apalachee: 25-21, 25-17
TFS L 0-2 vs Loganville: 22-25, 16-25
COACH MATT HEYL REACHES 100 WINS
When the dust settled on the 2-0 win over Apalachee on Thursday evening, coach Matt Heyl hit a major milestone of 100 career wins in his time at Tallulah Falls. In the early part of what marks his fifth season over the Lady Indians, Heyl collects the momentous win, as he has averaged nearly 24 wins per season from 2018-21. His win percentage sits around .600 through four-plus seasons.
Heyl has the Lady Indians off to a solid 5-2 start to the season, and now has a career mark of 100-67. He has guided the program to four consecutive area runner-up finishes and state playoff berths, including three trips – and two straight – Sweet 16 runs. Three times his TFS team has won 20-plus games, including a school record 31 in 2018.
Coach Heyl’s ability to win big games is well-documented, as he has led the Lady Indians to 13 wins and counting over state-ranked opponents, which includes last season’s win over #1-ranked and undefeated Murphy (NC). Under Heyl, the TFS volleyball program has set all of its team records, as well as nearly all individual records.
Heyl’s teams have also included four 1st Team All-Region selections, four 2nd Team All-Region picks, and a pair of Honorable Mentions.
He has coached volleyball for over 25 years at multiple levels, including at the Division-II level in Sweden. His own playing career spans over 27 years, with much success in beach volleyball. While in college, he qualified for a professional beach tour along the east coast, and while playing indoor in Florida, was twice on a team that was ranked #1 twice and qualified for two national tournaments.
At TFS, he has led several next-level athletes, including Abby Carlan (’21, Truett McConnell), Katy Corbett (’21; Mercer beach volleyball), Nancy Fisher (’22, Toccoa Falls), and Alba Romanos Gracia (’22, Ventura College beach & indoor volleyball).
For Heyl and TFS, there is much more to come in 2022 and beyond. The current team contains two-time 1st Team All-Region honoree Sarah Jennings, a future college standout who is on pace to break three of the school’s all-time records. The team also includes several other playmakers, including Kitty Rodenas, Addy McCoy, and Elsa Sanchez to name a few.
TFS will honor Heyl at the next home match prior to first serve, which is slated for September 6 against Anderson (SC).
