The first-ever Saturday Night Lights volleyball match at Pope High School was a huge event attended by just around 1500 spectators. The weather was unseasonably cool with no rain in sight. Pope's parking lot was packed, making it look like a Friday Night football game, which was the goal.
"What an incredible night for Pope Volleyball and the entire Pope community," said Athletic Director Josh Mathews. "I have asked our coaches to prioritize being on the cutting edge, and tonight was all about a coach taking that to heart. Coach Miller did something that allowed us to be first while also being extremely successful!"
Pope's Head Community Coach, Erica Miller, was inspired by the record-breaking attendance at the University of Nebraska in 2023 and wanted to do something similar for the first match of the 2025 season with local rival Walton.
The result was the Backyard Brawl on the football field at Greyhound Stadium under the lights: Friday Night Lights on a Saturday. The Cobb community responded in a big way.
"First isn’t always best when it comes to doing something new, unless you do it with such excellence that no one realizes it was the first time. That excellence was experienced in this event and exceeded our expectations in every way," AD Mathews said with gratitude. "This amazing idea inspired three communities—Pope, Walton, and the entire Georgia volleyball community. That’s excellence in leadership!"
The match promised outstanding on-court play from two elite programs and did not disappoint. Pope took the first set (25-23), but Walton came back strong to win the next three (25-19, 25-16, 25-18) to claim the first Backyard Brawl Cup for the Raiders.
"This was awesome! It is an exciting way to begin our season," said Walton Head Coach Ashley Jones. "Very few times in high school do our girls get to experience something like this. It's indescribable how happy I am for them!"
"The event was incredible, absolutely what we hoped for! Our Pope community showed up for us in a huge way. We are so thankful! The Walton community showed up big, too; there is a reason we chose them for this match. It was a magical evening!" said Coach Miller about the event overall. "Many people stepped into roles of various sizes to make the day happen."
Jen O'Daniel, mom of senior Grayson O'Daniel, served as All-Star project manager and made the vision come to life. Football Coach Sean O'Sullivan and his team and their families did the hard work of putting the court down and taking it up. In addition, many other parents, coaches, press box crew, students, and teachers lent a hand to make everything go smoothly.
"It took a village, and the village showed up fully. It was a great day to be a Greyhound!" said Coach Miller with a smile.
The Lady Greyhounds are a young team, having graduated eight key seniors from last year's 5A state title team.
"We believe in our group and each girl is eager to continue to train and grow, and confident we will progress to where we want to be in October. The process is uncomfortable and trying, but it's a powerful space in which to grow," Coach Miller concluded.
After the success of the Backyard Brawl, many other programs are already asking how they could bring something like this to their own school. One thing is for sure: this won't be the last outdoor volleyball game in Georgia.
"Pope and Walton made GHSA history with this event, and it was a groundbreaking showcase for one of our District's most successful sports," agreed Cobb's Director of Athletics, Don Baker.
"Special thanks go to the Pope volleyball booster club for their extraordinary efforts in making this an unforgettable evening. They set the stage and shined a well-deserved spotlight on the excellence of volleyball in our district," Mr. Baker said proudly.
