Wirt County's Addie Stephens (10) joins her teammates in celebration following the Tigers' 3-1 victory versus East Hardy on Wednesday night in the Class A state semifinals. The Tigers will go after their first state title since 2020 on Thursday afternoon.(Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

CHARLESTON — Three Little Kanawha Conference programs entered Class A state tournament play here Wednesday and top-seeded Wirt County got things going in an early morning match as the Tigers took care of business by sweeping No. 8 Pendleton County 25-16, 25-10 and 25-9.

Defending state champion and No. 7 seed Greenbrier West was ousted by No. 2 Gilmer County 25-21, 20-25, 25-20 and 25-17, but the story of the quarterfinals was No. 6 St. Marys punching its ticket to the Final Four after ousting No. 3 Sherman via a 25-22, 25-21 and 25-20 sweep despite not having junior spiker Brynnley Bulluck.

“Coming off that regional championship and losing our top key hitter, our tallest player you know. Look at us. We’re little,” said elated Blue Devil boss Stephanie Corathers. “We’re tiny but mighty. Small but mighty. We do have to play a different game of volleyball.

“It’s not just about busting it, busting it, busting it because we don’t have the height. We believed that they could. Watching film and stuff we knew that they could, but it depends on what team of my girls show up. They showed up.”

The Blue Devils were in control most of the match despite the tight final team scores. In fact, Sherman’s Sophia Rollo finished with a match-high 23 kills, but her downed spike in the third set gave the Tide their only lead at 6-5.

Gilmer County's Blair Dobbins (17) celebrates with sister Ava (18) and the rest of the Titans following their sweep of St. Marys on Wednesday night in the Class A state semifinals. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Libero Alyssa Winland had an up to setter Rylee Renner that resulted in the last of Lauren Pritchett’s baker’s dozen kills as the Blue Devils earned match point in the state tournament for just the second time ever with a year ago at West Virginia State being the first.

St. Marys, which improved to 26-11-1 was led by Morgan Bardwell’s 17 kills and Renner’s 34 assists. Lainey DeWeese chipped in seven kills for the Blue Devils, who received two aces apiece from Bardwell and Pritchett.

Gilmer County head coach Chelsea Stickelman’s Titans didn’t have it easy, but the squad from Glenville received seven blocks for kills at the net by Ava Dobbins while twin sisters Blair had a pair. They combined for 15 kills while Ava Kennedy, who joined Ava Dobbins with a trio of aces, had five downed spikes. Maggie Snyder had a team-high 13 assists while Paige Montgomery tallied eight.

The Cavaliers led 13-9 in the opening set, but the Titans went ahead for good at 18-17 thanks to a Katelyn Mullins kill.

GWHS used three straight aces from Preslie Shrewsbury to take an 11-6 cushion in set two, but the Titans raced ahead 20-19 with Ava Kennedy at the service line only to watch the defending state champs tally the final six points with Maddie Sweet serving out the last five.

Gilmer County's Ava Dobbins (18) and Ava Kennedy (15) put up a double block as St. Marys' Brenzie Ebert tips the ball during the Titans Class A state tournament sweep on Wednesday night.(Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

An Ava Dobbins stuff at the net with Maggie Snyder serving got the Titans going in set three and they went ahead to stay at 19-18 on a Blair Dobbins kill via a Paige Montgomery assist.

A Jaelyn Cupp ace and a kill by Ava Price put the Cavs up 4-2 in the must-win fourth set, but the Titans were too much and eventually earned match point with Mullins at the line thanks to a GWHS unforced error.

Wirt County, which is seeking its first state title since 2020, continued to get stronger during its match.

Pendleton County opened with the first point being earned by Alyssa Bennett thanks to a Laney Bowers kill from a Carolyn Varner assist. However, three straight aces by Breigyn Dawson quickly turned the tide and the Wildcats called timeout after another Dawson ace made it 8-3.

A Tia Heavner downed spike with libero Breena Bowers serving kept the No. 8 seed within striking distance at 15-10, but Simone Hall answered with a kill of her own.

St. Marys head coach Stephanie Corathers talks with her team during a timeout at Wednesday night's Class A state semifinal in Charleston. The sixth-seeded Blue Devils eliminated Sherman before falling to Gilmer County. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Although a Laney Bowers kill was followed by consecutive aces from Bennett, which made it 15-13, Tiger Addie Stephens put down one of her match-high 16 kills following a service error as Katherine Lemley proceeded to serve up three of her match-high six aces as the orange and black never looked back.

Wildcat Chesnee Colaw had an early ace in set two, but the Tigers took the lead for good at 3-2 behind kills from Stephens, the setter Dawson and Izzy Speece.

A Phoebe Pownell service point kept the Wildcats within one at 6-5, but Brooklin Mills followed with a kill as the Tigers went on a 19-5 run to end the set.

Pendleton County tallied the first point of set three and only trailed 10-6 after a Colbie Wilmer ace, but Tigers Bella Starcher and Makayla Moore served up two aces apiece for a commanding 18-7 cushion. Stephens’ kill earned match point for Lemley.

The libero Moore finished with two aces and nine digs while Mya Hatcher added two aces and a match-high dozen digs.

St. Marys junior Brynnley Bulluck talks with her teammates between sets during Wednesday night's Class A state semifinal setback to Gilmer County. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com