BE volleyball team captures state title and national record
The Camden High School volleyball team hoped to party like it was 1999.
But Saturday’s Class AAA state championship match against Bishop England sounded like the same old song from this millennium.
The Bishops won their 17th straight consecutive state championship - a national record - with a 25-13, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Camden in a match that was contested at Dutch Fork High School.
The last time the Bishops didn’t win a state crown was in the fall of 1999 when Chapin beat Gilbert for the Class AA title. That was when Y2K was on everyone’s lips and Senior Bishop Kathleen Griffith was the only member of the 2016 team who was alive at the time.
Amelia Dawley was coach of the team in 2000 when the Bishops defeated Central to begin the streak. Dawley passed the coaching baton to Cindy Baggott in 2007 and she’s responded by leading the Bishops to 10 straight titles.
The Bishops began the day tied with The Episcopal School of Acadiana (Cade, La.) with 16 straight titles. The Episcopal School won 16 in a row from 1987 to 2002.
The Bishops also own the national record with 27 state titles overall.
The Bishops got off to a fast start in the first set against Camden, posting a 25-13 win.
Camden tried to battle back as the Bulldogs rallied from an 11-2 deficit to tie the score at 16-16 in the second set. But the Bishops were not to be denied.
Camden finished the season with a 32-5-1 record while the Bishops posted a 24-10 record during the 2016 season. The Bishops domination at the playoff level has been remarkable. When the 2017 postseason begins, the Bishops will attempt to extend their 105-match postseason winning streak.
Football playoffs start Friday for BEHS and HHS
Meanwhile, the 2016 South Carolina High School League football playoffs begin Friday and Bishop England and Hanahan will be on the road for the first round.
Hanahan, a No. 4 seed, will play at Dillon. The Hawks enter the game with a 3-7 record while Dillon is 9-1. The Hawks must solve a Dillon defense that is allowing only 11.8 points a game.
Bishop England, a No. 3 seed travels to Lake City. The Bishops are 8-2 and face the Panthers, who also own an 8-2 record. Lake City was undefeated on the road in the regular season, but were only 3-2 at home. Lake City allows only 17.7 points per game, while the Bishops give up 15.2 points per contest.
The Bishops are 6-2 all-time against Lake City. The schools haven’t played since 2011 when the Bishops posted a 14-0 over the Panthers. The Bishops went on to win the state title that year.
The playoffs were pushed back a week because of Hurricane Matthew, and both Hanahan and Bishop England were off last week.
The playoffs culminate the weekend of Dec. 16-17. The Class AAA state championship will be held at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.