BE girls’ volleyball hopes to cap 50th season with state title
They are celebrating 50 years of girls’ volleyball at Bishop England High School, and just one quick glance at the trophy case indicates there’s plenty of success to look back on and savor.
Born in the 1970s when the school was located on Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston, the program morphed from a local power to a state power to today, where the Bishop England program is one of the most elite in the nation.
The Bishops own 29 state championships, which is second in history to Bayside Academy in Alabama, which has 30, according to the National Federation of High School Sports’ record book.
Coach Cindy Baggott, who played on state championship teams while a student at BE, has been a coach at BE for 22 years, including 19 as a head coach. She owns a 533-252 record and is responsible for 12 state championships.
The Bishops went 17-11 in the 2025 regular season, including 10-0 in Region 6-AAAA, to claim the league championship. The Bishops began their bid for a 30th state title with an October 22 firstround match against Lower Richland High School at Father O’Brien Gymnasium.
“This year’s team has worked hard this season to get better individually and as a team,” Baggott said. “They have improved tremendously since the beginning of the season. We struggled in the beginning with consistency, and I feel we are definitely more consistent as we enter the playoffs. If we can maintain that consistency, then we have a good chance of going to state and hopefully winning it all.”
Langdon Blackstock was named to the Class AAAA all-state team after recording 41 aces, 308 kills, and 223 digs.
There is plenty of senior leadership on this year’s squad: Caylee Searson, Blackstock, and Sullivan Leonard are the captains. Hadley Irvine and Avery McKian are also seniors as well. Juniors on the team include Kate Cochran, Graceyn Skipper, Brooklynn Guidi, Eliza Artigues, Ashlyn Williams, Grace Stroud, and Jules Gallo. Sophomore Mary Margaret Stone and freshman Jules Gurrieri round out the roster.
While 29 state titles and 36 state championship appearances are impressive, the most impressive number in those 50 years just might be the number four: the Bishops have had only four coaches in half of a century. Kathy Blackman was the first coach and served from 1975 to 1991. Baggott played for Blackman and was a member of the 1981 state championship team. Beth Cappelman Lewis coached from 1992-93, and Amelia Dawley coached from 1994-2006.