It’s deja vu all over again for the Heritage volleyball team.

Except, this time around, it’s even better so far.

With the Lady Patriots’ easy win against North Clayton on Thursday night, they’ve set up a matchup with top-seeded Lakside at home this Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. in the second round of the Georgia State Tournament.

With their win over rival Rockdale last Saturday, the Lady Patriots secured an 8-AAAA Region Championship for the second straight season.

Two big wins in two games, yes.

But, unlike last go-round when the Pats were with the pack for most of the year, this year the squad won from ahead.

"Our goal was to win as many games as possible with a senior team like we have," said Heritage coach David Buddenbaum. "We knew every team saw us as a top team, so they were gunning for us and were after us all season. But we stayed focused from the start."

As for Rockdale, the unlucky losers against Heritage in the Regional Tournament, the curtain has closed on this year’s season.

The Lady Bulldogs lost at home on Thursday night to Dutchtown, a team they’d beaten earlier in the season.

Still, there were a lot of positives to take out of the 2009 season for Rockdale.

"This is the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here," said Rockdale coach Stephen Sansing. "It’s that we are deeper than before, but also because the girls right here know the game."

What this group of girls probably also know, is that they’re the best Rockdale volleyball team in recent memory.

After dropping its first three games of the season to very strong competition, Rockdale posted three winning streaks of five games or more, including a regular-season ending five gamer that clinched them second place in region 8S-AAAA.