Bishops volleyball team digs in as coach approaches 500th victory

The Bishop England High School girls’ volleyball program stresses team accomplishment – and for good reason.

 

The Bishops own a national record of 17-consecutive state championships from 2000, and a national record of 29 state crowns overall since the illustrious program’s inception.

 

But, when it comes to the 2024 season, you might hear about an individual accomplishment, and this one involves one of the most successful coaches in state history.

 

Coach Cindy Baggott should join the 500-victory club this fall. She begins the season with a 487-230 coaching record.

 

The Bishops capped a 33-9-4 season last fall with a 3-0 victory over Landrum in the Class AA state championship. It marked the first time since 2017 that the Bishops claimed the top prize.

 

“It was just one of those things,” said Baggott who played on the 1981 Bishop England state championship team and has coached her school to 12 state titles. “Things can be cyclical. We didn’t do anything different last year. The main factor is volleyball has become so popular. It just really exploded.”

 

“Every school has upped their game,” Baggott continued. “Back in the day, we were one of the few schools that had players play year-round, that had players playing at the club level. Now, that’s the norm.”

 

The Bishops graduated seven players from last year’s roster, including all-state selections Olivia DeMarco and Kristina Kakalev. The team still has talent, but many players are young and have more potential than varsity playing time.

 

Some of the players expected to have key roles include Sullivan Leonard, Langdon Blackstock, Jessica Stroud, Claire Womble, and Cate Morey.

 

Leonard is a 6-2 junior who has already committed to play for Pepperdine University at the next level. Leonard, who can play middle and outside hitter, led the Bishops with 110 blocks, 271 kills and a .327 hitting percentage last fall.

 

“I could not be more thankful for the endless support from my family, friends, and coaches for making me the person and player I am today,” Leonard posted on Instagram.

 

The Bishops will begin play at The Class AAAA level with a youthful team.

 

“So, it’s back to the drawing board,” Baggott said. “We have only three juniors on the team, and out of the 16 kids on the roster, a lot are sophomores. But our goal every season is to go to the state (championship) and win it.”

 

The Bishops will have enough time to prepare for region and postseason play. Baggott’s team will play in five tournaments that would challenge even the most experienced teams: North-South Invitational, hosted by Rock Hill High; the Porter-Gaud Invitational; Tournament of Champions, hosted by Dorman; The Philip Simmons Invitational; and the Island Bash, hosted by Hilton Head High.

 

The Bishops have been classified as a Class AAAA school thanks to the multiplier used by the South Carolina High School League to level the playing field. Bishop England will compete in Region 6-AAAA along with Hilton Head, May River, Bluffton, Colleton County and Beaufort.