Coach Mandi Munn couldn't remember the final point.
It's one that Janie Smith will never forget.
The Red Bank Lady Lions received a free ball from Macon County. The first pass went to setter Rachel Thornbury, who set a perfect pass to Smith, who crushed it between two Macon County defenders.
It sent a crowd of more than 100 Red Bank students onto the floor and its volleyball team to the state tournament for a seventh straight season.
"On a free ball, that play is something that Rachel and I practice," Smith said. "It's an amazing feeling winning that point for everybody."
The Lady Lions won the five-set match and sent the Macon County players back home on a charter bus -- and its rowdy group of about 50 students on a school bus -- by scores of 25-22, 22-25, 25-16, 22-25, 15-8.
"This was amazing," Red Bank senior Dani Usher said. "We saw all their fans, and we were asking, 'Where's ours?' Then they call came in together. That was cool."
The Lady Lions (28-25) are slated to play their first game in the state tournament Wednesday in Murfreesboro. They were state champions in 2010 and runners-up in 2009.
"Macon County was gunning for us, and it was back and forth, and my girls were determined that they wouldn't take no for an answer," Munn said. "It's no secret that we've had ups and downs this season, and I've drilled that you have to learn from your mistakes and that losing is part of building a champion."
Losing in the sectional ended Macon County's season.
"I really thought we made a lot of errors," Lady Tigers coach Brittny Dodson said. "Honestly I think we should have had that. The other team got too many points on us. It's hard to come back when you're down in the fifth game."
Becoming state champions is the next goal for Red Bank.
"We're going to state again," said an excited Usher, who hustled to pose for dozens of pictures with her teammates. "I hope we win it."
They certainly won Thursday, prompting the student crowd to circle the girls and repeatedly chant, "I believe that we just won."
Caitlyn Jenkins closed the first set with a kill down the left sideline. The Lady Tigers won the second set by three.
The Lions controlled the third game by as many as 18-9.
"It was the third game, when we got a lead with our serves, and when we get a lead everybody gets pumped," Jenkins said. "When we close it out is when everybody gets pumped."
But the Lions couldn't close it out in four sets. The Tigers (21-8) won the fourth.
"Before the fifth set, I didn't have to say anything," Munn said. "The seniors said, 'We got this.' That was our mindset."
They got the victory, indeed.
Ooltewah ousted
Ooltewah lost 3-1 at Siegel (25-17, 23-25, 25-13, 25-17) in a Class AAA sectional in Murfreesboro, ending the Lady Owls' season at 48-9.
"We came up short tonight. We had a great season and got beat by a very good team," Ooltewah coach Elaine Peigen said. "We are very proud of our entire team and especially our seniors."
Courtlyn Ison and Alex Biro each had eight kills in the loss, Ison adding 16 digs and four blocks, and Hannah Matthews had 22 assists. Josie Cain had 12 digs and three aces, and Sidney Killingsworth had 3.5 blocks.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-747-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.