VOLLEYBALL VICTORY: The girls of the middle school volleyball team clustered together at the front of the meeting room, proudly displaying their trophy designating their status as regional champions.

TIFTON — Tift County Schools recognized some of their best and brightest in both the academic and athletic fields at their most recent meeting.

The Tift County Board of Education offered congratulations to the students of the Future Business Leaders of America and the members of the Middle School girls’ volleyball team at their Nov. 9 meeting.

Paul Nelson, principal of Eighth Street Middle School, stood in for their advisor Savanna Sanders in congratulating them on ranking among the best at the national FBLA convention over the summer.

Nelson explained that the students had been competing since March, starting at a district level and eventually reaching the national competition.

He was happy to congratulate the three teams who placed top five in the nation, with Avery Weaver and Jayda Harrell placing third in the annual chapter activities presentation, Leah McMurphy and Riya Naikare ranking fourth in the business ethics competition, and Mylee Martin placing third in career exploration.

Harrell, Naikare, and Martin, were unable to attend, but Weaver and McMurphy were proud to be congratulated on their teams’ hard work.

Afterward, coach Dani Fletcher invited the athletes of the middle school girls volleyball team up to the front to be recognized.

As the entire team gathered in front of the Board of Education, Fletcher proudly stated that the team had only begun playing together in August, but had already become regional champions–and had brought home the trophy to prove it. She also offered her gratitude to the team’s manager Hadley Griffin and her fellow coach Kelli Walker for their own efforts in helping the team to accomplish such a feat.