If Whitney Hammond wasn't sure if she'd miss playing volleyball, she is now. The recent GPS graduate is taking her athletic talent to the Southeastern Conference and will play softball for the University of Tennessee.

After competing Wednesday in the Tennessee-Georgia high school all-star softball doubleheader at Frost Stadium, Thursday she was selected most valuable player after Tennessee beat Georgia 3-1 in the volleyball event at GPS.

"Looks like I picked the wrong sport," Hammond said after helping Tennessee win 25-18, 23-25, 25-13, 25-21 with 11 kills and an ace. "I'm just glad I got the opportunity to play one more time, especially here. When I look around I think about all the games we had and all we were able to accomplish. I was excited to be here."

GPS's Paul Brock was coach of the Tennessee team.

"She had some SEC schools looking at her for volleyball," Brock said. "With her jumping ability and her speed, those are characteristics any coach would want. She's an incredible person, too. She's very gifted."

Half of the 10 girls on the Tennessee roster were from GPS. The Bruisers won Division II-AA state titles the last two volleyball seasons.

Megan Givens tripled, doubled and singled in Tennessee's sweep Wednesday and will join Hammond on the Lady Vols softball team. Jasmine Brown is headed to UT to play volleyball. Heather Parman, who had nine kills Thursday, will play at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Danna Myatt, who delivered a kill for the finishing point, has signed with Bryan College.

"It was an honor to get to coach them again," Brock said. "It was great to see so much raw talent develop into some incredible talent. They're all going to college somewhere to play sports. You could tell that from middle school, almost."

East Ridge's Takeisha Parham was chosen Tennessee's player of the match. She had nine kills and an ace and equaled Christina Teter with four blocks, which ties the match record in the six-year series. Teter, from Red Bank, contributed five kills and an ace and will be a teammate of Parman's at UTC, as will Notre Dame's Erica Cowart.

Georgia's player of the match was Dalton's Emily Broadrick, who had 13 kills and two aces. She also scored five points in a victory over the Tennessee all-stars in basketball Tuesday at Notre Dame, but she will play volleyball next season at Lee University.

LaFayette's Leslie Welch supported Broadrick with six kills, three blocks and an ace. She has signed with Shorter College.