The journey began months ago in the gymnasium at Patrick Henry – Glade Springs High School. I made the trip down I-81 to watch our Carroll County High School Cavaliers play a VB match against the host team.

All it took was one look to immediately appreciate just how special the Cavaliers program was at each level – the Coaching, the Players and the group I labeled the Road Warriors. The parents and grandparents of the team were nothing short of magnificent.

We were able to be in the Gyms with them every step of the way from that first night 🌙 until the season ending match in Dry Fork. It’s worth noting that the Max Preps rating system still has CCHS ranked #4 in the state as of this morning.

Just how good is the Volleyball 🏐 in our part of the Old Dominion ? Today there will be 3 State Championship games played in Salem and we drove past the 3 schools that we will call the Home teams.

Hidden Valley is the Region Champion from our region and they play in Game #1 vs York (Yorktown).

GAME #1 – First TO, HV 11-9

Falcons call 2nd TO, Titans 18-13

Hidden Valley clearly scored more points via Dinks than they did Kills in winning the opener, 25-17

GAME #2

York TO, HV leads 10-5

Miles driven to the match – 249 vs 6

16-9 HV before Falcons score 6 straight to force a TO

18-18 before HV gets 3 straight and York calls last TO

TO – HV after 24-20 lead became 24-23

Hidden Valley 25-23, Titans one win away now.

GAME #3……

York pulls out to a sizeable lead but Titans pull even at 11. TO – York

York 19-16, 19-17, 19-18, 19 ALL

York – Final TO

York 21-20, TO HV

York 22-20

York 23-20, Titans final TO

Titans fend off two set points but York says Not Yet

GAME #4

HV 18, York 12 – TO York

3 straight for York, now 4 straight

TO HV – HV 18-16

York 23-22, HV final TO

We are heading to Game 5 !

GAME #5

York 5-1, TO HV

8-2 York, 8-3, 8-4, 9-4, 9-5, 9-6, 9-7 on back to back Dinks.

Point of the match finally ends, now 9-8

TO York

10-8 on a ball out by maybe half an inch.

11-8 York, TO Hidden Valley

12-8 as a block goes wide

12-9 after the crowd believes a missed call

12-10 on a service Ace

Final TO

13-10, 13-11, 14-11

2:05 pm – York 15, Hidden Valley 11

Falcons come from down 2-0 to capture the Championship.

Glenvar represents our District and Hidden Valley our Region but Auburn is simply our little neighbors.

Just North of Floyd in the village of Riner, the Eagles also had a short trek to the Civic Center.

2:47 – GAME #1 of Eagles vs Raiders

Auburn 9-4, TO Rapp

236-33 in miles driven by the two teams today.

TO – Rapp, down 22-13

Auburn makes Game #1 look easy. (3:06pm)

GAME #2

Rapp 13-10, they have already matched their Game One total

TO – Auburn, trailing 16-13

TO – Auburn, trailing 22-15

Rapp evens it up 1 set all.

GAME #3

Auburn 8-2, TO Rapp

Auburn 12-4

20-14 Auburn, TO Rapp

20-16

Rapp makes it close but Auburn hangs on for a 2-1 lead.

GAME #4 –

Auburn 11-6, Rapp TO

14-6 Auburn

16-7, Rapp calls 2nd and final TO

19-14 Auburn, Eagles take their first TO after 7-3 run by Raiders.

Rapp pulls within 22-19 and 23-20

Auburn closes out the set and the match, 25-20

5:02 pm – GAME #1 begins

Glenvar 22-17, Highlanders playing well but can’t pull away.

5:21 – Game 1 to the Highlanders!

GAME #2 –

Glenvar 10-5 , East Rock TO

Glenvar 19-8, East Rock 2nd TO

Highlanders 25-11 in second game, one step away from Back 2 Back titles.

GAME #3

East Rock 9, Glenvar 5, Glenvar TO

12 All – ERHS timeout

Glenvar 21-16, ERHS final TO (6:04)

Glenvar volleyball 🏐 rolls to a 2nd consecutive State Championship in 2A!!!