Herbert Hoover volleyball coach Anita King hugs the teamƵs three seniors, Ƶhton Henrich (9), Hannah Shamblin (second from left) and Brianna Adkins following their loss to Bridgeport in the Class AAA volleyball state championship at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.
Herbert Hoover volleyball coach Anita King hugs the teamƵs three seniors, Ƶhton Henrich (9), Hannah Shamblin (second from left) and Brianna Adkins following their loss to Bridgeport in the Class AAA volleyball state championship at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.
CHARLESTON Ƶ Ƶ the latest high-impact Philip Barbour-Oak Glen volleyball match neared its crescendo, Heather Halfin found a moment for levity Ƶ or something like it, anyway.
ƵI told (my players) when we started Game 5, ƵI know you guys like me and all, and you want to drag this out as long as you can, but please,ƵƵ the ColtsƵ coach said, ƵƵmy knee blew out because I fell to the ground, and I had a stomach ulcer from cheering so loud and yelling, but letƵs finish this. LetƵs finish what you started.ƵƵ
Philip Barbour did exactly that. Down one point in the early going of the winner-take-all fifth set of the ƵSSAC Class AA state tournament final on Thursday, the Colts tallied four straight and never trailed again to claim a 3-2 (25-22, 13-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-12) epic in the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
Philip Barbour won its seventh state championship and third in a span of four years. The other one during that time went to Oak Glen in 2023.
Philip Barbour senior hitter MacKenna Halfin Ƶ last yearƵs West Virginia Sports Writers Ƶsociation state player of the year and daughter of the ColtsƵ coach Ƶ led the way Thursday. She produced, unofficially, 23 kills.
The Colts and Golden Bears have now combined to win 13 state titles in the last 20 seasons.
BRIDGEPORT 3, HERBERT HOOVER 1: The HuskiesƵ bid to win their first state championship came to an end on Thursday.
The defeat in the Class AAA final came as the No. 2-seed Huskies dropped three sets by a combined nine points to No. 1 Bridgeport, which won 25-23, 17-25, 25-20, 25-23.
The Indians won their second state championship, having previously done so in 2018.
In winning the second set from Bridgeport, Hoover became the first team since Oct. 12 to take a set from the Indians, but the Huskies could not repeat that success. Instead, Bridgeport rebounded with digs and plays from the back line to keep balls off the floor that would have earned Hoover some points.
ƵThatƵs what we talked about after we dropped that second set,Ƶ Indians coach Ali Burton said. ƵWe were like, ƵItƵs all right,Ƶ because we know that we didnƵt get some points we should have, but so what? Get the next one.Ƶ
For Herbert Hoover (49-7-1), the loss adds fuel to a team that could return much of its core, including Class AAA All-Tournament honorees Ahaziah Smith and Braelyn Adkins.
ƵI know theyƵre sad to lose, the seniors, right? But I believe when youƵre out here and you give it everything you got, you still walk out of here with some deep pride,Ƶ Huskies coach Anita King said. ƵI donƵt want them to think because the last point didnƵt go our way to forget all of the good things that they did on this entire journey to get there.Ƶ
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