A year after capturing the Class 1A state title, members of the Athens Bible volleyball team knew they were going to have a lot to prove during the 2010 season if they wanted a chance to defend it.

And while it may have taken all of the regular season and part of the postseason, things finally started coming together for the Lady Trojans after winning the Regional C tournament at Gaston High School on Oct. 16., earning a spot on The News Courier’s list of Top Local Sports Stories for 2010.

The following week, they punched their ticket to the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Elite Eight state tournament in Pelham for the fifth straight year, with a 3-0 win at home over Covenant Christian in the sub-state round to advance.

Once there, Athens Bible breezed past Parkway Christian 3-0 and eased by Holy Spirit in five sets, setting up a battle of defending state champions.

The Lady Trojans fell in four games to top-ranked Addison, the 2009 Class 2A state champion, marking the second time in five straight trips to the tournament that they were heading back to Athens with a runner-up trophy.

“I’m just as proud today as I was a year ago,” Athens Bible coach April Davis said following the championship game. “I feel we gave them (Addison) a good match, they just had a few more guns than us.”

ABS finished the year at 38-14.