By Thomas Grant Jr.
COLUMBIA – At Dreher High School this past Saturday, the River Bluff Lady Gators made their second straight appearance in the Class 5A Division I State Championship match.
Standing in their way once again was two-time defending champion Dorman.
After dropping the opening set 25–23, River Bluff rallied to win the next two, 25–23 and 25–13, putting the Lady Gators just one set away from their first state title.
Dorman built a six-point lead early in the fourth set, but River Bluff battled back to close within two and held off three set points before the Lady Cavaliers secured the set 25–22 to force a deciding fifth.
In the final set, River Bluff jumped ahead 6–3 after a four-point run. Dorman stayed close, eventually reaching match point at 14–12. The Lady Gators scored once more following a timeout, but a kill from Maggie Helle sealed Dorman’s 15–13 victory and its third consecutive state championship.
“We have been resilient all year,” said River Bluff head coach Bryan Piro. “I’m so proud of our seniors. We just battled. We are a player-led team. I hate it for them. I hurt for them. But they laid everything out there. Dorman is a good team… 15–13 in a fifth set. I don’t know much better you can do. It was a heck of a match.”
River Bluff finished the season with a 32–13 record, capping another strong campaign as one of the state’s premier volleyball programs.
Photos by GoFlashwin.
