MORGANTOWN – The Morgantown Mohigans and University Hawks volleyball teams will bring their version of the Mohawk Bowl to Charleston on Wednesday as the two sides meet in the quarterfinals of the 2024 WVSSAC Class AAAA state volleyball tournament.
MHS (37-10) enters the week as the No. 2 seed in Class AAAA, seeking its second consecutive state title after capturing the program’s first-ever championship in Class AAA last season.
“We’ve battled through some injuries, but it has created this unique environment where everyone fills whatever role they are asked to,” MHS head coach Abigail Wolfe said. “Throughout different times this season, our girls have stepped into different leadership roles and have played new positions. One of our strengths as a program is that we are adaptable and resilient, which is important in a setting like the state tournament.”
UHS (34-8-1) holds the No. 7 seed in the bracket and will appear in its first state tournament since 2018. Head coach Nick Lusk and his eight seniors are confident coming into the tournament.
“This entire group is such a joy to coach and be around. I think and hope I speak for the girls with this, but every practice is enjoyable,” Lusk said. “There is not a day that we dread coming in. As far as this senior group, you couldn’t ask for a better group of girls, not just from a volleyball standpoint but just as people. They are a special group and have earned this opportunity, and I’m just glad I can be a part of it with them.”
The two sides met three times this season, with the Mohigans winning two of the three contests. The Hawks’ 3-1 victory on October 3 was their first win over their rivals since 2019.
“At first, we were hoping that this wouldn’t be the first matchup, but as soon as the brackets were released, something flipped that switch, and we couldn’t be more excited,” Wolfe said. “It will make for a great experience for both teams and schools. We have a fan bus full of students coming down on Wednesday, so we know it will be a good time in Charleston.”
Lusk echoed his Mon County counterpart’s words, saying the two teams meeting in the state tournament showcases the sport’s growth around the area.
“To play Morgantown again in this setting is certainly special,” he said. “First, it speaks to the growth of volleyball in our area and both schools’ talent. We always seem to play some incredibly memorable matches, and that’s what the state tournament calls for.”
The Mohigans’ strength is their power on the front line. Freshman Leah Greeny leads the team with a .334 hitting percentage this season, while junior Paige Brink has tallied 368 kills.
A solid defense supports the offensive attack, though. Sophomore Abby Paulsen has earned 78 blocks, and junior Grace Robinson has totaled 327 digs.
“We need to win the serve pass game and minimize our unforced errors,” Wolfe said. “We also aim to have a 2:1 ace-to-error ratio, so we focus on having tough serves. If our serve-receive can keep us in our system, and our serves keep the other team out of its system, we can manage anything thrown at us.”
UHS is led up front by seniors Kate Williams and Addison Kitzmiller. Williams leads the team with a .316 hitting percentage, earning 232 kills as the middle hitter. Kitzmiller hits a .263 percentage and leads the team in kills with 336.
“They have bought into the defense-first attitude,” Lusk said. “We are usually confident that we can score, but they are exceptional when we put defense first. For us to have the best chance to win, like I said before, we have to put defense first. I think when we do that, we can play with anyone.”
The winner of the afternoon quarterfinal will continue to play in the Class AAAA semifinals against the winner between No. 3 Musselman and No. 6 Cabell Midland this evening following the first semifinal, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
