MORGANTOWN — After finishing as runner-up in the 2022 volleyball state championship last season, the Morgantown High School volleyball team returns to Charleston as the No. 1 seed as Region 1 champions, aiming to take the next step and win the elusive championship.
The 2023 WVSSAC state volleyball tournament will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. MHS will begin the quarterfinal round against No. 8 Parkersburg South on Wednesday morning following the match between Bridgeport and Woodrow Wilson, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Semifinal rounds will also be held on Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. with the championship match being held on Thursday.
MHS enters the state tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time ever, and while the team acknowledges that numbers only mean so much when it comes to the state tournament, earning the top spot is something they gain pride and motivation from.
“We have put in a lot of hard work this season and continued to show up every match,” senior hitter Kaitlyn Anderson said. “Having never earned the one-seed, we really want to show everyone why we truly are the top team in the state.”
Securing a tough Region 1 championship is something head coach Erica Manor and her players say has prepared them mentally and physically for the state tournament. Fellow Region 1 qualifier, Bridgeport, and crosstown rival University, two of the top teams in the state, both stood in the way of MHS and the Regional championship.
“The past two weeks we have had to put all our effort in to make sure we secure that spot at states, and most importantly that top spot,” junior Audrey Buck said. “Our region was very challenging and facing both University and Bridgeport allowed us to prepare for what is ahead at states. Those games have taught us to persevere and to work together in those tight moments that mean the most.”
“We had some six-to-eight-point comebacks that we weren’t sure we would complete,” sophomore Paige Brink said of the postseason so far. “We started focusing on playing for each other more and I think that is what helps us push through those moments is realizing we aren’t only doing it for ourselves.”
In two matches this season, MHS has a perfect 5-0 set record against the Patriots but knows that every team improves throughout the season and any team that appears in the state tournament cannot be taken lightly.
“Although we’ve faced Park South a couple of times this season, they’ve shown a lot of improvement,” Anderson said. “We always go into the state tournament with the mindset every team is the best team we will see and try to focus more on playing our game at the highest level we can, rather than focusing on our opponents.
“I think that the most important thing for us this year is to play together and with heart,” she continued. “We know that we have the skill to win, but it’s all going to come down to who wants it the most, and who plays the best as a team. I think our chemistry is good this year within the team, and we have built up our mental toughness to put us in a position to face adversity and power through for a title.”
The Mohigans and Patriots will begin their match this morning 30 minutes after the conclusion of Bridgeport and Woodrow Wilson at 8:30 a.m.
