Volleyball Recap: Dynamic Duo of Ruthie Brinson and Bradford Middleton Lead Darlington to Victory

Darlington waltzed into their match on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came out on top against the Gordon Central Warriors by a score of 2-0. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Tigers also won the last time the pair played back in September of 2024.

Not only was the match a shutout, it was a big one: Darlington took both sets by at least 16 points. The match finished with set scores of 25-9, 25-3.

Bradford Middleton

Serving Aces (Career)

09/04/25 vs Gordon Central	8
09/05/24 vs Villa Rica	4
08/16/25 vs Tucker	3
08/16/25 vs Parkview	3
08/09/25 vs Pepperell	3

Darlington was led to victory by Bradford Middleton and Ruthie Brinson. Middleton had eight aces and one assist, while Brinson hit 100% for nine kills and two aces and one block. Those eight aces gave Middleton a new career-high.

They weren't the only good server: Darlington was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 11 aces. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gordon Central only served one ace.

Darlington's record now sits at 19-1. As for Gordon Central, their loss was their 21st straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-13.

We've got plenty of inter-region action coming up soon. Darlington is set to face off against their familiar foe Dalton Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Gordon Central will square off against rival Dade County at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.