High school volleyball and tennis roundup
Two from the “What’s Not New Department.”
Members of the Bishop England High School volleyball and girls’ tennis teams will find themselves in familiar surroundings Saturday when the High School League holds its Weekend of Champions.
The volleyball team, under the direction of coach Cindy Baggott, will go for their 19th straight state championship when it plays Powdersville at 2:30 p.m. at White Knoll High School in the Class AAA state championship. The Bishops advanced with a victory at Battery Creek Monday night.
Meanwhile, the tennis team, coached by Kristin Arnold Fleming, will seek its eighth straight state title in a Class AAA matchup against undefeated Chapman. The match is slated for noon at the Lexington County Tennis Center. The Bishops advanced with a home court victory over Waccamaw on Monday night to remain undefeated.
In volleyball, the Bishops will face Powdersville in a rematch of last year’s state championship. Last November, there was plenty of drama. Powdersville won the first two sets, but the Bishops rallied for a hard-fought victory that gave them a national record 18 consecutive state titles and 28 overall.
The Bishops defeated Pelion, Dillon and Gilbert in straight sets to reach Monday night’s Lower State against Battery Creek. The Bishops needed four sets to dispose of the Dolphins.
In tennis, the Bishops topped Mid-Carolina in the state championship last year for their 22nd state tennis title overall, which is tops in state history.
The Bishops’ coach, Fleming Arnold, is in her 10th year at her alma mater. She played on four state championship teams in the 1990s.
Senior Eleanor Campbell is the Bishops’ No. 1 singles player while sophomore Lilly Woods is the No. 2 player. Sophomore Jenna Santa Lucia, freshman MacKenzie Penton and Izzy Woods are Nos. 3-5, respectively.
The Bishops received a bye in the first round and then topped Aynor 6-1 and Georgetown 6-0 to reach Monday’s Lower State championship against Waccamaw. The Bishops blanked the Warriors in the Lower State final for the third year in a row to remain undefeated at 22-0.
Meanwhile, The Class AA-A Lower State tennis championship featuring Philip Simmons at Oceanside Academy was rained out Monday and was rescheduled for Tuesday.
The winner of that match will face Christ Church at 10 a.m. in the AA-A state championship in Lexington.