The last three years, Philip Barbour and Shady Spring have battled for the state volleyball championship.
Thursday morning inside the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, Oak Glen crashed the party looking to snap the Colts two-year reign as the top Class AA team in the Mountain State.
The visitors from Hancock County not only crashed the party, they took home the AA title with them.
Starting fast, Oak Glen dominated the opening set and rode the momentum to a 3-0 sweep of the two-time defending state champs.
“We have working for a long time at this, since 2019. Our girls have worked every day in the off-season and they trust each other. They are selfless and they love each other,” Oak Glen head coach Morgan Poling Sadler said. “That is what this is all about.”
The first set was all Oak Glen who rolled to a 25-12 win.
“I think our tempo is a fast tempo for high school and I think it definitely made a difference in today’s matchup,” Sadler said.
As expected the Colts gathered themselves in the second set and battled to hold a late lead before the Bears rallied for a 27-25 win. With the set tied 25-25, two kills from Brooklyn Six sealed a 2-0 lead for Oak Glen.
“It was definitely a momentum shift there in that second set. We were able to battle one point at a time and come out with the win,” Sadler said. We just had to keep our composure, stay true to who we are and play Oak Glen volleyball.”
With the 2-0 lead in hand, Oak Glen maintained control in set three and secured a 25-20 win for its first state title since 2019.
“Everyone on the bench, on the floor, contributed today,” Sadler said. “That is what it takes to win a championship.”
