Union City’s record-setting volleyball season came to a close Wednesday in Murfreesboro.
School Communications Director Mike Hutchens said the Lady Tornadoes, who set a program record with 24 wins and claimed a share of a regular season district championship for the first time, bowed out of the Class A State Tournament with a 3-0 loss to Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences in the consolation round.
Union City concluded its stellar 2025 campaign with a (24-8) record.
Eight seniors – Clare Atwill, Addison Carr, Ca’Lae Ervin, Madison Hillin, Kumya Liphford, Gracie Sims, Madie Theobald, and Crickett Washburn, headlined a class that won 42 matches and qualified for the state tournament in back-to-back seasons.
“I hate the end-of-a-season speech and having to watch our seniors say goodbye to volleyball,” said Lady Twister head coach Jessica Graham, the winningest coach in the 13-year history of the program. “This group was a special group. They were fun to coach and even more fun to be around.
“There was not a dry eye at the end, from our seniors down to our freshmen, and I think that says a lot. These girls did a lot to help get our program where it is today and that’s something they can be proud of. Someone said something about (our son) Hays needing a sister, and I replied: ‘he already has a whole team of older sisters who look after him, and I couldn’t ask for anything better.’”
Theobald had 14 assists, three saves, and three kills for the Lady Tornadoes. Atwill was credited with 10 digs, and Sims recorded eight kills.
