Breaking News
Local Sports

Williamstown volleyball wins 2nd straight state title

By Jay W. Bennett 5 min read

CHARLESTON -- Sophomore Kyndra Johnson sealed Williamstown's back-to-back Class A state volleyball championships with an ace on match point here Thursday afternoon inside the Charleston Coliseum during the Yellowjackets' dominating sweep of Buffalo.

The 45-7 Bison of head coach Barry Clendenin, who were playing in their first state title match, weren't able to solve Williamstown's defense as the 'Jackets rolled to a 25-14, 25-7 and 25-15 victory.

Head coach Rachelle Cole's squad, aside from being nearly perfect on the offensive attack, allowed only six service points.

"I can't even process it yet," admitted Cole, who got a match-high 15 kills from junior Claire Strobl and 14 from senior Payton Woodard. "We knew we had a strong team coming back and the girls have worked incredibly hard. I can not stress that enough. They have, day in and day out, been focused and ready. It's an incredible feeling. We've said we've had a lot of games this season where one or two girls are really on and they are playing extremely well.

"Then the following week we'd have a couple others step up. We've said all along if they were all on at the same time they could be pretty scary. I did say after the second to the girls, I said I think we are seeing that time. All of you are playing well. You are all playing together, I said, and it's pretty scary at times."

Other than a pair of 1-0 leads in the first and third set, the Bison had only one other cushion and that was at 2-1 in the finale.

"We were just all super hyped and excited to be here again and we knew this was our shot and we took it," said senior Riah Sprouse, who had five kills and four blocks.

"I think every time we come here we limit our mistakes, which is always good, and I think our hitters and our defense was so good today because everyone pulled it out."

Kyndra Johnson, the WHS sophomore setter who was tasked with replacing all-state captain Lakyn Joy, had a match-high 34 assists. Along with adding eight digs, she tied Woodard for match-high ace honors with a trio apiece.

Consecutive kills by Woodard got the 'Jackets going in the opener as WHS took the lead for good at 2-1. Johnson followed with her first ace. It was 9-3 after Woodard served up back-to-back aces.

Bison senior Chloe Hale, who 10 kills with classmate Ivy Tolley chipping in a half dozen, tried to keep the Bison close with three downed spikes, but Williamstown still led 18-7. Two blocks by Sprouse was followed by consecutive Becca Shamblin kills to reach set point, which the No. 1 seed got after Buffalo was called for being in the net.

It was kills by Strobl, Hale and Strobl again to start set two as the Williamstown defense played shutdown. Buffalo failed to record a service point in the set and by the time the first serve rotation had ended, the 'Jackets led 13-6.

Things only got worse from there as senior libero Kamryn Haynes stepped in and served for nine straight and it was 20-6 after Riley Landis assisted on a Woodard downed spike. Woodard added two more to finish off the set.

Zoey Hoffman recorded one of her 21 assists to open set three when Hale put one down, but a Sprouse kill with freshman Keatyn Haynes at the service line put the Bison behind for good at 4-3.

Although Shamblin rolled an ankle when it was 7-4, the 'Jackets brought in sophomore Kiersten Kerby to fill in for a couple of rotations.

Georgie Inman, who had six points, four assists, two kills, a block and a match-high 13 digs, put one down for a 16-9 advantage. Shamblin made it 19-12 using a left-handed attack that dropped to the floor. A late kill by Hale and an ace from Krissy Metz proved to be too little too late.

"Last year we just had a great dynamic and it flowed into this year," Inman admitted. "I mean overall we had great team chemistry last year and an even better one this year.

"We just had so much camaraderie and so much team work and effort put into this year, and last year. The comparison is like so much energy was put into this and our hard work and dedication really paid off in the end for both years."

Shamblin finished with seven kills, a block and five digs. Landis contributed nine digs, Keatyn Haynes five while Kamryn Haynes had 11 points, an ace and six digs.

"She really stepped up and I think we all just knew it was time to step it up and we had to play and we wanted to really work for each other," Kamryn Haynes expressed of her younger sister.

Woodard, whose father Jeremy is an assistant coach, didn't get a chance to play second-seeded Buffalo during the regular season.

"We watched their match against Ritchie County (during Wednesday's semifinals) and we knew they would come out with fire, heart and passion, but we were confident that if we were playing to the best of our abilities we could win," Woodard said.

"I think that's what we did today. We're so close to each other and we love each other with all of our hearts, so we just came in today ready to play and excited to win. It feels so nice. We were hoping to go out with a bang and I think we did."

Woodard, Inman, Shamblin, Hoffman, Hale and Buffalo libero Nora Boggess were joined on the all-tournament team by Ritchie County's Rebekah Rupert and Emily Griffin as well as Moorefield's Sterling Kump.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Starting at /week.