Williamstown’s Becca Shamblin, left, hits through a block during the Yellowjackets’ win over Wheeling Central in a Class AA regional co-final last week at Williamstown High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

WILLIAMSTOWN – Just like a year ago, three classifications will converge inside the Charleston Coliseum for the state volleyball tournament starting at 8:30 a.m. today.

However, only the third-seeded Yellowjackets of Williamstown head coach Rachelle Cole will be competing from the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Due to ongoing lawfare against the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission the single-A portion will not be held, but Class AAAA will debut for the first time starting Wednesday.

Williamstown, the three-time reigning Class A state champions, moved to Class AA this season and lost the chance at tying Wirt County’s single-A state record of four straight crowns from 2005-08.

“We haven’t (seen #6 seed Charleston Catholic),” said coach Cole, whose ‘Jackets will clash with the Irish around 3 p.m. today in the quarterfinals. “They were at the Buffalo tournament. We just didn’t play them.

Williamstown volleyball coach Rachelle Cole gathers with her team during a timeout. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“They looked good that day. Charleston Catholic is good and I said from the very beginning before the brackets came out three though six you could just flip a coin probably and any one of those teams could win against each other.”

The Yellowjackets (28-9-3) are led by the senior duo of Kyndra Johnson and Becca Shamblin. Both full rotation players, the setter Johnson was a second team all-stater last year, while Shamblin made first team in Class A.

Coach Cole’s program also features junior libero Keatyn Haynes, four other seniors – Annabelle Haught, Shelby Smith, Kiersten Kerby and Gabi Holl – as well as rotation pieces Addi Kerby and Grace Boone, a pair of juniors.

WHS, which enters the big dance at 28-9-3, has received 924 assists, 94 aces, 116 digs and 31 blocks in the regular season from Johnson.

Johnson was sitting at 3,273 career assists. Shamblin entered the postseason with 570 kills, 45 aces, 240 digs and 87 blocks. The ‘Jacket was at 1,656 career downed spikes. Haynes’ totals before the ‘Jackets won their sectional title versus Ravenswood and a regional co-final against Wheeling Central, which was eliminated from its sectional by Tyler Consolidated, included 608 digs, 84 aces and 46 assists.

“We do have film on them,” admitted coach Cole. “We think they’re pretty scrappy on defense. They tip kind of a lot whereas we hit more than we tip.

“They go outside a lot. Film in volleyball is just hard. You need to actually be there seeing it. We’re just really going to focus on what we are going to do.”

The Irish are led by the one-two punch of junior Ilyauna Evans (420 kills, .455 hitting efficiency, 312 digs, 49 aces) and freshman Nora Aliff (415 kills, .389 hitting efficiency, 68 blocks). Freshman libero Ali Wilcox has 650 digs, 51 assists and 41 aces.

“We’ve practiced every day,” admitted coach Cole since they swept Wheeling Central last Wednesday. “We watched film on Saturday and did just a light practice.

“Three of the girls on the team have been on the state floor the last three years with us. Maybe three or four more were with us the last two. They are at least not going to be shell-shocked.”

If the Yellowjackets win their quarterfinal match they will advance to tonight’s semifinals against the winner of No. 2 Philip Barbour and No. 7 Wyoming East.

Williamstown hasn’t faced Wyoming East and the Colts won both matchups in the regular season.

The other half of the bracket features defending state champion Oak Glen, which defeated Philip Barbour for the title in 2023, playing No. 8 South Harrison with No. 4 James Monroe going up against No. 5 Buffalo.

“We started the year with the goal to make it to the state tournament,” added coach Cole. “We knew it would be a rough road given that we moved up to double-A. We won key games we needed to in order to put us in a good seed going into sectionals. The past few weeks we have really been clicking and are excited to get to play our last game on the state floor.

“Kyndra Johnson, Becca Shamblin and Kiersten Kerby have all been on our past three state championship teams and I couldn’t be happier that their last game, as well as our other three seniors, will end their volleyball career by getting the opportunity to fight for their fourth. It will be a much bigger challenge than ever before, but I would put these girls up against anyone.”

The Class A state tournament was set to feature No. 4 Pendleton County/No. 5 Magnolia, No. 8 Tyler Consolidated/No. 9 St. Marys and No. 1 East Hardy on one side of the bracket.

The opposite side featured No. 2 Greenbrier West/No. 7 River View and No. 3 Wirt County/No. 6 Sherman.

On Wednesday, the Class AAA and quad-A quarterfinals and semifinals will be contested with the three state championship matches set for Thursday.