Tallulah Falls’ all-time winningest coach Matt Heyl reached a new milestone with his 200th career win with the Lady Indians volleyball team. The win came on September 2 with a 2-0 victory over George Walton in front of the home crowd. The team celebrated him afterwards, and TFS formally acknowledged the occasion with a mid-court recognition between the win and the 201st against Banks County.
In his eighth season over the program, he has a career mark of 201-112, good for a .642 win percentage. Since taking the reins of the volleyball program in 2018, Heyl has taken TFS to unprecedented heights. The 2022 Lady Indians won the GHSA State Championship after winning their first-ever region title and making a magical postseason run, collecting a school record 35 wins in the process. The 2023 team followed with another area championship and a Sweet 16 run, and the 2024 squad made the Elite 8.
Heyl has led a winning season that led to a playoff run in each of the seven previous campaigns, and this year’s team is well on its way to the same with an overall record of 15-5 to date. He’s coached three 30-win teams (2018, 2022, 2023), two region titles (2022-23), and in six of his eight seasons, the Lady Indians have been a top-10 ranked team in the state.
“It seems like time flew,” says Heyl on reaching the milestone of 200 wins. “We were just celebrating number 100 in that state championship season. Not sure how it happened that fast, but this is an amazing group of girls to get it with.”
As if scripted, his senior daughter Rebecca Heyl, the lone member left from the championship team, spiked a kill to clinch the 200th win.
“To have Becca get the 100th and now 200th with me, it was so much more special that way,” adds Heyl. “We didn’t plan it for her to end the match like that, but that was special.”
When asked which of the 200 wins stands out the most, Heyl acknowledged the tough task of pinpointing just a few, but he had some near the top of mind.
“Besides the state championship, obviously,” laughs Heyl. “There was one in 2021 we beat Murphy of North Carolina, the defending state champs. We beat them at home after losing to them about a month earlier on the road. They were one of the best overall teams, and to beat them the way we did [3-1 on September 20, 2021], that was awesome. Also beating Prince Avenue the season after the championship run, for the region title. That was just a dedicated group of players – we didn’t have anybody new really, just the same group after losing all those talented seniors, and we still beat them.”
Heyl now has about 8-10 matches to go this season before the postseason begins. If the win over George Walton and Banks County is any indicator, the Lady Indians should help take him on another deep run.
THE PATH TO 200 – Signature Wins for Matt Heyl
- August 11, 2018 vs Bethlehem Christian Academy (1st Win)
- October 20, 2018 vs Mt. Pisgah (1st Playoff Win – 1st ever Sweet 16 for TFS)
- August 10, 2019 vs #10 Loganville (1st win over ranked opponent)
- August 10, 2019 vs #4 Jefferson (win over highest-ranked opponent in school history)
- October 21, 2020 vs Mt. Vernon (Playoff win to clinch second Sweet 16)
- September 20, 2021 vs #1 Murphy (NC) (revenge win over defending state champs and first win over #1 team)
- August 24, 2022 vs Apalachee (100th Career Win)
- October 15, 2022 vs #6 Prince Avenue Christian (1st Region Title in school history)
- October 22, 2022 vs #6 Galloway (win to clinch first-ever Elite 8)
- October 25, 2022 vs Lamar County (win to clinch Final 4)
- October 29, 2022 vs #1 Mt. Pisgah (electric home win to clinch State Championship against #1 team)
- November 4, 2022 vs #1 Mt. Bethel (State Championship)
- October 7, 2023 vs #6 Prince Avenue Christian (for Region Title (2nd), and 13th consecutive win, marks school record)
- October 12, 2024 vs #9 Stratford Academy (clinching Elite 8)
- September 2, 2024 vs George Walton (200th Career Win)
