HARTFORD – Ginny King, a physical education teacher at Valley Regional, wrote a note to the volleyball team before the Warriors played in their first state championship game in 35 years Friday night.
King had played on the team in 1987, when Valley won, and she was in college when Valley won again in 1989. That was the last time the Warriors had appeared in a final. Last year, they were close, losing in the semifinal to Coventry.
Valley coach Jaimie Bickelhaupt read the note to the players before the Class S championship match. King was in the stands. Inspired, the second-seeded Warriors rose to the occasion, winning the rematch with No. 5 Coventry, the defending champion, 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 20-25, 25-22) at SMSA.
Valley Regional volleyball wins its first state title since 1989, 3-1 over Coventry #ctvb pic.twitter.com/gD4KeYVzeT
— Lori Riley (@lrileysports) November 16, 2024
“It’s amazing,” Bickelhaupt said. “I’ve been to so many finals and haven’t been able to close it out until two weeks ago (when Valley won the Shoreline tournament). This was the first year that this team really came together. They fought through the good, the bad and the ugly and came out on top.”
Senior middle hitter Regan Grow was named the final’s Most Outstanding Player.
Last season, Valley (24-2) lost to Coventry (20-6) in the Class S semifinals, 3-2.
“When we lost to them, it was definitely a sour feeling,” Grow said. “Coming into this season, we were ready for a change. We were ready to go out on the court and give it our all. We really worked on our mental game throughout the season.
“We turned it around quick whenever we felt some negative moments (Friday). We talked to each other, just said, ‘Everything’s OK, just take a deep breath.’”
Bickelhaupt said coming into the game, she felt like her players were thinking about last year but that changed as the game went on.
“Once we started playing, it was like we’re a very different team, they’re a very different team from what we saw last year and it turned into just another volleyball game where we’re competing for a title,” she said.
The first game was close, tied at 16 before Valley pulled away. The Warriors took a 9-1 lead in the second game then held on. Coventry won a close third game, pulling away at the end and the Patriots fought through the fourth game but Valley had momentum on its side.
“In the beginning, we were playing well but we made too many errors,” said Coventry coach Ryan Giberson, whose team was vying for its 13th state title and second straight. “They have a big presence at the net. We were a little bit jumpy, trying to hit over the block – give them credit there.”
Bickelhaupt is due with her second child in three weeks, so she was happy to make it through the season.
“There were a few times in the Shoreline championship game that my watch would start a workout because my heart rate was going so fast,” she said. “It’s been a good distraction the last few months. It’s a great end to the season, heading into a new phase.”
