Bishop England boys’ volleyball team rebuilds after state title

Bishop England High School boys’ volleyball coach Alec Swanson says his team is in a massive rebuilding phase for at least the next two years after posting an 18-3 record and winning the 2023 Class AAAA state championship.

 

“It’s been a little rough,” Swanson said, whose team owned a 5-5 record after defeating Conway High 2-0 on Sept. 14 to win its second match in a row.

 

“We have three players back from last year and lost 10 players from the roster. Of the 12 players on this year’s team, three are juniors and nine are seniors, so it will be the same next season.”

 

But help is on the way. The Bishops have fielded a junior varsity team for the first time, and the program will help depth-wise in the next couple of years. The JV team has eight players on the roster.

 

The Bishops have a short but successful history since the South Carolina High School League sanctioned the sport in time for the 2022 season. Although the organization sanctioned the ‘22 regular season, it did not sanction the playoffs, in which Bishop England claimed the top prize with a perfect season and a state title.

 

With the playoffs officially approved in 2023, the Bishops finished with an 18-3 record and won the state’s first-sanctioned Class AAAA state title in boys volleyball.

 

The only players back from last year’s squad are senior Patrick Tawes, and juniors James Schar and Drew Gallagher.

 

“It’s a little rough,” Swanson said of his team’s lack of experience. “It’s been a rollercoaster because we have been so up and down. Hopefully, we will finish the season strong.”

 

Swanson said most of this year’s squad are newcomers to volleyball, which means he has to spend most of his coaching time teaching the basic skills to be competitive.

 

“What I want to be able to do is help players refine their skills,” Swanson said. “I want to coach more than the basics “

 

Baggott notches 500 wins

Bishop England’s Cindy Baggott became only the 11th girls’ volleyball coach in state history to reach 500 career victories, according to the High School League’s Palmetto’s Finest record book, after the Bishops competed in the Tournament of Champions, which was held Sept. 13-14 and was hosted by Dorman High School.

 

The Bishops defeated Aiken High 2-0 in Saturday’s semifinal to give Baggott her 500th victory. 

 

The tourney includes some of the biggest names in the Palmetto State.

 

Baggott was tied for 10th place in all-time wins with the milestone. She shared No. 10 with former BE coach Kathy Blackman, who coached the Bishops from 1975-91 and owned a 500-83 record.

 

Baggott is currently tied for second on the all-time state champions list with St. Joseph High’s Jan Carino, with both coaches earning 12 state titles. Dorman’s Paula Kirkland is at the top of the list, with 15 state titles to her credit.