Nettes aim for third straight Elite 8 Trip
Pickens softball seeks another deep run in Columbus, while scrappy volleyball squad earns second straight winning season and state tournament berth
Carleigh Rau plays strong defense for the PHS Dragonettes.
The PHS softball team is on the hunt for a third straight trip to the Elite 8 tournament in Columbus. To get there, they’ll need wins in two road series, starting with Round 1 at Whitewater on Wednesday, October 15. The winner of the best-of-three series will likely travel to Long County for the second round to face the Lady Tide of Ludowici, who posted an impressive 25–4 regular-season record.
Should the Nettes survive that gauntlet, they would accomplish a program-record third consecutive trip to Columbus. Success, however, should not be taken for granted. Before the last three seasons in which Pickens qualified for the state playoffs, the program had done so only once in the previous 17 years. The 2025 season marks the fourth straight year the Nettes have earned a postseason opportunity. This is also the second year under the new power-ranking system.
There’s a similar story brewing for the volleyball program. Comprehensive data is hard to find, but it appears that the team has rarely enjoyed a regular season winning record. In fact, there were 19 straight seasons without one until last year’s squad finished 21–18, including a trip to the state tournament.
The 2024 team graduated eight seniors, and a dip in success was expected. However, the 2025 version of the Nettes proved to be scrappy, carving out a second straight winning record in the regular season. A few tough losses in the area tournament dropped the Nettes just below .500 and made their playoff hopes uncertain. Still, Region 6-AAA is a tough field, and Pickens earned an at-large bid as the No. 26 seed in the state playoffs.
Prior to press time, the Nettes were set to travel to face No. 7 seed Oconee County with nothing to lose. The 2025 squad has been resilient and energetic all season — often just a few points away from knocking off higher-ranked opponents. Win or lose, this young team will gain valuable experience and lasting memories.
