Bishop England claims state crown in inaugural boys' volleyball season

Undefeated and undisputed. The Bishop England High School boys’ volleyball team is the Class AAA-AA-A state champion.

 

The Bishops put an exclamation point on a perfect season with a 3-0 victory over Philip Simmons in Oct. 15’s state championship.  The schools are less than 10 miles apart, but the championship game was played at a predetermined site, which was Keenan High School in Columbia.

 

The South Carolina High School League sanctioned boys’ volleyball in time for the 2022-23 academic year as interest in the sport has surged in recent years. Approximately 40 teams in the Palmetto State fielded teams, including about a dozen in Class AAA-AA-A. Many of the 40 teams were in the Lowcountry. In fact, six of the eight teams in the Class AAA-AA-A playoffs were from the Lowcountry. And that included the best team, Bishop England.

 

“No, not at all,” Bishop England coach Alec Swanson responded when asked if he ever thought the Bishops would serve up perfection in the first season. “But we showed potential right off the bat. We came together quicker than I thought we would. It was something to witness, something to behold.”

 

Swanson said the highlight of the regular season was a Sept. 15 match against Oceanside Collegiate Academy played at BE’s Father O’Brien Gymnasium. The Landsharks won the first two sets of the match, but the Bishops battled back to win the last three sets and the match.

 

“That showed me this team was special,” Swanson said. “They never give up. They are never going to give up.”

 

The Bishops followed that victory up with a 3-2 decision at Cane Bay High School.

 

Other than those two close calls, the Bishops won every match by a 3-0 score, including all three playoff matches.

 

The Bishops opened the postseason with a first-round win over Hanahan and it was more of the same in the state semifinal and championship as the Bishops rolled past Battery Creek and Philip Simmons.

 

Seniors Joey Gurney and Erik VenJohn led by example, helping the young players adjust to the physical and mental challenges of playing the sport.

 

“Both were instrumental in providing leadership,” Swanson said. “They have the ability to keep the team positive when things don’t go our way.”

 

Junior Andrew Puckhaber’s athleticism and size made him a force around the net.

 

“He had the ability to hit the ball over any blocker we faced,” Swanson said. “Still, volleyball is a sport that you really need all six clicking to do anything. That’s because in order to hit, you need to set. And in order to set, you need a good pass.”

 

The Bishops could return 13 of the 15 players in 2023. There were two seniors on this season’s roster and 10 juniors. Swanson’s squad also included a freshman and two sophomores.

 

“After talking to prospective players and parents, there’s an energy thanks to all the success we had this year,” Swanson said. “We will be ready when we start next season.”