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The LaGrange volleyball team is off to a hot start. After winning their season opener on the road last week, the Grangers opened their home schedule on Tuesday with a thrilling victory over Heard County in three sets (26-24, 24-26, 15-9).

“I think this season means a lot to these girls,” coach Mehgan Smith said after the game. “They deserve every bit even if they got a little emotional, today because the girls wanted to come out and be perfect for the home crowd, and like we have some tears on the court. I told them that we can cry later, but I think it shows how much it means to them.”

The Grangers won all of six games a season ago and morale was low at times. The energy under first-year head coach Mehgan Smith has brought a new energy to the team.

“That was the biggest and loudest crowd that we’ve had in my three years here,” said Smith, a former assistant with the program.

It was a dog fight from beginning to end on Tuesday. The Grangers trailed at one point 20-14 but rallied to win the first set 26-24.

“I feel like they were a little shaken up with it being the first home game, but like I told them that’s elementary stuff, it’s okay to be nervous with the first couple balls, but once we’re on the court after that second or third ball is game time and we have to lock in,” Smith said. “I had to call an early timeout and just talk to them and calm them down.”

The second set was the complete opposite. LaGrange built up an early lead but the Braves rallied and won the set 26-24.

“After that set, I had to fire the girls up,” Smith said. “We should have won that second set, but we let it slip away.”

It would all come down to the third set. It was the Grangers that showed the most poise, winning the set 15-9 to win the match.

“They took the criticism and they applied it and took it all the way,” Smith said. “That’s the kind of response I want to see out of the team.”

LaGrange and Heard County will rematch on Thursday with the latter hosting.