The 2024 state volleyball tournament was played this year without the Class A schools in attendance.
Multiple court injunctions delayed the event for the small schools and left players wondering if they would even get their chance to play for a state title.
Thankfully, the court issues have been resolved and the tournament will be played.
Monday morning inside Walker Convocation Center on the campus of West Virginia State University, the Class A volleyball tournament will open with No. 4 seed Pendleton County playing No. 5 seed Magnolia at 8:30 a.m.
The quarterfinals will be played in the morning and afternoon sessions, while the semifinals will be contested later Monday evening.
The championship match is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m.
“I think we are excited and ready to play for sure,” Greenbrier West head coach Joe Robertson said. “We have stayed focused and I feel like the seniors have helped us do that. We have just tried to keep practice fun and interesting, so we don’t get in a rut over and over.”
The Cavaliers are the No. 2 seed this year and will open against No. 7 seed River View at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
West is no stranger to the bright lights and madness that unfolds at the state tournament.
The ladies from Charmco have made eight straight state tournament appearances, but is still looking for its first state tournament win.
Greenbrier West (28-15) is led by three strong seniors.
Preslee Treadway and Paige Dean provide power at the net combining for over 500 kills. Fellow senior Megan Griffith is the libero and controls the back row with 516 digs and 506 receptions. Sophomore Maddy Sweet has stepped into the setter role admirably this year, handing out 742 assists.
Treadway and Griffith were named first-team all-state this year, while Dean earned second-team honors. Sweet was an honorable mention choice.
River View (17-16-2) will be making its first trip to the state volleyball tournament in school history. The Raiders have strong players at the net guided by three seniors, Keylee Lester, Baylei Vance and Brooklyn Blankenship. Sophomore Addison Honosky leads the team in assists.
Lester and Vance were both selected as all-state honorable mention choices.
Greenbrier West won both regular season match-ups, 2-0.
“We played them at Greenbrier East and Nicholas County. They are a good team that plays good defense. They give 100 percent effort and serve really good,” Robertson said. “They don’t have the offensive weapons that we have, but they give us trouble. They play defense and let you mess up. Sometimes we oblige them. Then that starts us on a downward track.”
No. 3 Wirt County will play No. 6 Sherman following the Greenbrier West match. The winners will meet in the second semifinal of the evening at approximately 8 p.m.
The No. 1 overall seed is East Hardy who will play No. 8 St. Marys in the second match of the tournament. The first semifinal match will happen at 6:30 p.m.
