Tickets have been punched and the seeds have been released.
Now it is time to play for the state volleyball championship title.
Wednesday 24 teams will gather inside the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, eight per class, to see who is the top team in the state of West Virginia.
Six teams out of Region 3 will try to make their case for the top spot including Woodrow Wilson, George Washington in AAA, Shady Spring and Herbert Hoover in AA, as well as Greenbrier West and James Monroe in Class A.
The Flying Eagles will open the tournament at 8:30 a.m. as the No. 5-seed and will battle No. 4 seed Bridgeport (40-7-7).
Woodrow Wilson (40-8-9) dropped a five-set nail-biter to the Indians to open the state tournament last year and has met its Harrison County foe twice this season.
The two two teams split a pair of matches in early September before Bridgeport beat the Flying Eagles 2-0 a week later.
While clearly both teams have improved, Woodrow is now playing at the top of its game entering the big dance.
“I like the way they are playing and their energy right now. Everything is coming together at just the right time,” Woodrow Wilson head coach Bre Rhodes said after the regional championship win Saturday. “That is exactly what we need. It is always a roller-coaster in the beginning, but as long it comes together in the end, it’s a good ride.”
The Flying Eagles are led by one of the top attackers in the state in Salia Harris, along with Alanna Penn, Anya Hasan and Saira Diehl.
“We made some changes during the season and then we stuck with the final line-up,” Rhodes said Saturday about her teams progression. “Alanna is back and is better with her knee injury. Everything has really come together.”
All-state setter Abby Dillon sets the table with over 1,200 assists this year and also leads the team in digs.
Dillon’s work has been complemented by a solid back row anchored by seniors Emily Gallagher and Abby Mower.
“I have always liked the back row because that is where the pass starts and that is where the play starts,” Mower said Saturday. “It is an important job that I don’t think gets enough credit, but I love being a passer. That is something I can do to help my teammates.”
If Woodrow can dispatch the Indians in the opener, it will play the winner of No. 1 Morgantown and No. 8 Parkersburg South in the semifinals Wednesday night.
Shady Spring (43-9-2) has been a fixture in the Class AA championship game the last four years winning the title in 2020.
The Tigers ran roughshod through the sectional and regional tournament and are the No. 2-seed in Class AA.
Balance has been the key for Shady Spring which has multiple attackers to baffle opposing defenses. Sophomore Reagan Mann leads the team in kills, followed closely by sophomore Alivia Stover, senior Camille Testerman and junior Rachel Mann.
“The key for us is sharing the ball, spreading the love out and giving it to different people,” first year Shady Spring head coach Brantlea Wood said after the regional championship win. “We have six hitters on the floor. There are threats from either side, front row and back row. They are everywhere.”
Reagan Mann has also recorded over 500 assists on the year and the Mann sisters have combined on over 600 digs. Testerman leads the team in digs with 377.
Shady has been very strong from the service line where Haley Sweeney has 101 aces to go along with 644 assists.
The Tigers open state tournament play against Liberty (Harrison) at 1:30 p.m. If Shady advances to the semifinal later that night, it will meet the winner of No. 3 seed Philip Barbour and No. 6 seed Winfield.
Shady has battled Philip Barbour in the championship match each of the last three seasons.
Greenbrier West and James Monroe (37-4) have battled five times this year with the Mavericks winning three times. However, the Cavaliers (32-15-5) have won the two biggest matches winning the Coalfield Conference title and the regional title.
Round six between the budding rivals will be Wednesday afternoon following the match between No. 2 Williamstown and No. 7 Wirt County that starts at 1:30 p.m.
The showdown comes on the heels of a five-set thriller in the regional final between the two schools. With the final set supposed to go 15 points, the outcome was not settled until West recorded the last winner for a 21-19 victory.
“It’s obviously a tough matchup. They’re great athletes with good coaching,” Greenbrier West head coach Joe Robertson said. “Saturday’s match was a lot of fun. I hope we have another match like that Wednesday, with a lot more people there to watch.”
All-staters Preslee Treadway (junior) and senior Kadie O’Dell lead the Cavaliers in kills, while junior Paige Dean and sophomore Ava Price have also had big moments at the net. Price leads the team in blocks as well.
Treadway is an all-around threat leading the way in kills and aces, while being second on the team in digs and receptions.
Senior setter Riley Robertson guides the Cavaliers with nearly 800 assists and has been a stalwart on the service line. Megan Griffith leads the West defenders in digs and receptions.
“Every team down there is pretty good, so we would probably have to beat them eventually anyway to win it (all), which is our goal,” Robertson said.
Although the Mavericks came up just a smidge short Saturday, James Monroe head coach Julie Bradley views the match from the positive side for her girls.
“I think it’s going to be a good game to watch, play in, and coach. If you were at the regional game Saturday you understand what I mean by that,” Bradley said. “That fifth set was something else. We didn’t get the win but we definitely learned from it. I believe all the games in single will be good games and we know what we have to do Wednesday.”
The Mavericks have a triple-threat when it comes to attackers. Sophomores Aliyah Clarkson and Ava Pitzer along with junior Maggie Boroski are all very skilled and explosive.
Clarkson has recorded over 100 aces and Pitzer has 80 to her credit. The trio also leads James Monroe in digs and receptions.
Junior Hannah Rhodes and sophomore Skylar Clarkson handle the setting duties, while sophomore Sadie Mann has also been a force on the back row.
“We are extremely happy to make it to the state tournament again this year. We know that everyone there is talented and excited to be there,” Bradley emphasized. “We feel like we know what to expect this year and we want to perform better than we did last year.”
The championship matches for all three classes will be played Thursday.
Class AA starts at 11 a.m. with AAA following 45 minutes after the conclusion. Class A will decided after the AAA match.
