Pope High School’s volleyball team capped their 2024 season by capturing the GHSA Class 6A state championship, which was the program’s third state title in the past seven years and their sixth overall.
This was Pope head volleyball coach Erica Miller’s second state championship in her four seasons as the Greyhounds’ coach.
Like any good coach, Miller knows that you’re nothing without great players. She also knows that with great talent comes a mix of personalities. That sums up the 2024 Pope squad, with each team member playing a significant role toward winning the championship.
For setter Jahan Lalli, that role was as the team’s quarterback, according to Miller.
“Jahan is our team glue, our spark, our fire,” Miller said. “She is our quarterback. Jahan is high energy. She was our No. 1 setter and floor captain, and she rarely left the court. She controlled our offense.”
Lalli was named All-County, All-Region, and All-State for her outstanding play for the 2024 season, during which she compiled 96 kills, 51 aces, and 1,111 assists, averaging 9.4 assists per set. As a defender, Lalli was quite effective with 248 digs on the season.
She set a Pope High School record this season with a 62-assist performance in a five-set win over Woodstock. According to Miller, that is the most assists in a single match in the history of Pope volleyball and ranks No. 5 all-time in Georgia high school history.
In the state finals match against Woodward Academy, Lalli rose to the challenge time and time again.
“In the championship, Jahan was focused and full of energy, quickly recovering from an error and lifting her teammates up when they made a mistake,” Miller said.
Miller said there was a moment in the final match when the Greyhounds were ahead and Lalli took charge on the floor.
“We were ahead two sets to zero at the five-minute break in the final, and Jahan was a key voice, encouraging her teammates to stay focused, keep pushing for excellence, and to go ahead and close the match down right there in the third set, which we were so pleased to have done,” Miller said.
Lalli excels in the heat of a match with her high-energy approach, but it’s her preparation off the floor that makes her a special player, according to Miller.
“She thoroughly studied the scouting report and knew what Woodward’s tendencies were and what they were going to do, and from that she knew what we should do to achieve the success we were looking for,” Miller said. “One of her strongest traits as a setter is her understanding of who the opponent is and what is wise to do against them. She pays attention to what hitters and sets are effective against a particular team, even if that means to take a risky approach over the easy, and perhaps more expected, way. She keeps everyone on their toes.
“Jahan’s play was full of split second choices like this during the state final.”
Volleyball a Lifelong Love for Lalli
Growing up in Frisco, Texas, which is located just outside Dallas, Lalli said she fell in love with the sport of volleyball early in her childhood, which kick started her rise to competitive play.
“I played on my first recreation league volleyball team when I was around 7, and from there I went on to play with some of the most competitive club teams in the country,” Lalli said.
Those club teams include Dallas Skyline, TAV, and Drive Nation.
“Playing at such a high level really drove my passion for the game and prepared me for my later years,” Lalli said.
Lalli said that when her family moved to Georgia, she knew that she would be trying to break into a highly successful program at Pope.
“I knew it would be a daunting task, but incredibly exciting too,” she said.
Pope was coming off their 2022 state championship, and Lalli was a new face trying to find her way into the Greyhounds’ program.
“My first season was my sophomore year, and I played defensive specialist while learning from our defensive setter, Cooper Abney,” Lalli said.
That season, Pope fell to Alpharetta in the 2023 Class 6A state finals. That made Lalli more determined than ever to contribute the next season.
“That just fueled me to help bring home a state championship for my junior season,” she said.
That’s exactly what happened.
“Winning a state championship and getting to run a 5-1 (offensive set) and be the floor captain for the program truly shaped who I am as a player,” Lalli said. “The trust that my team and our staff instilled in me has fostered my leadership skills and confidence so much.”
Lalli pointed to the team’s chemistry and ability to support each other as one of the qualities that contributed to the program’s second state title in three seasons.
“We are extremely tight knit,” Lalli said. “These girls are not only my teammates, but they are some of my best friends. Our chemistry allowed us to bend but never break in those difficult moments.”
Lalli was quick to heap praise on her coaches too.
“I wish I could truly explain how much of a gift Erica Miller has been to me and the Pope volleyball program,” Lalli said. “She is consistent, passionate, and intense. She is a comfortable presence on the sidelines when things get tough, and she is a mentor to all of us.
“Coach Erica really brought out and nurtured my best qualities, this past season especially. Her unwavering trust in my abilities really changed the way I viewed myself as a player and a person.”
Lalli said she’s looking forward to finishing strong at Pope in her senior season and hopes she’ll be able to continue with the game she loves and has played her whole life.
“I’m hoping to play collegiate volleyball following high school and further my education to study journalism and international affairs,” she said.
Miller said she is looking forward to having Lalli back next season.
“The girl is competitive, has the fire to win, and keeps the gas pressed all match long,” Miller said.
Lalli, along with her teammates and Miller, will look to win another volleyball state championship in 2025 for Pope.
