Whitewater wins state volleyball title

The Wildcats are back on top. Whitewater won the Class 3A state volleyball championship, beating Cherokee Bluff in straight sets, 3-0, on October 29. 

The victory secured Whitewater its third state volleyball championship, joining the 2009 and 2012 squads. They finish the year 26-7-1 with a region championship. 

“It is hard to put in words. Winning the state championship is a mix of gratitude, blessing, pride, and relief all rolled together,” said Whitewater coach Dakota Porter. “It is the product of months of hard work, new defenses, long days and nights, and having each other’s back. What makes it even more special is knowing how far we’ve come as a team, growing one percent every day. Seeing all of that pay off in the biggest match of the season is something I’ll never forget.” 

The first set was a back-and-forth battle with neither side able to pull away. Whitewater had the largest lead at 18-14 only to see Cherokee Bluff swing in front. Trailing 22-20, the Wildcats woke up and reeled off five-straight points to take the first set 25-22.

They maintained the momentum, firing off 5 aces in their first 10 points in the second set. Cherokee Bluff pulled within 3 points early, but the Cats responded and surged to a 25-16 win. 

Cherokee Bluff came out strong trying to fend off elimination in the third set of the best-of-five match. They led by four points early, but the Cats clawed back to a 12-12 tie, then pulled out to an eight-point advantage of their own.

The Bears rallied to tie up the set at 21-21, but Whitewater had a title on their mind. They put it away, notching the last two points via plays at the net to win 25-22 and set off a celebration. 

Lailah Brown was named the MVP of the match.

“Cherokee Bluff is a very talented team with similar strengths defensively, so we knew we had to keep them out of system and apply constant pressure,” said Porter. “The key for us was staying aggressive with a faster tempo and keeping the ball in play. We focused on minimizing unforced errors and maintaining composure during rallies. Our defense and offense balance gave us options, but our mental toughness is what carried us through in the third set.” 

Porter pointed to the players and the team chemistry as the key to building a champion.

“From day one, we built this program around culture and chemistry — players who care about each other, who hold each other accountable, and who aren’t afraid to make mistakes and learn from them,” she said. “Every athlete bought into the idea of getting one percent better each day. That collective mindset created a team that didn’t just play together, but truly competed together. The trust between them made this group special and why we were able to finish as champions.” 

The champion Wildcats are Evie Higman, Devon Li, Reagan Maddox, Kamari Moreland, Lailah Brown, Kenzie Houston, Saniya Wright, Jayci Bond, Courtney Newcomer, Matilde Kofoed, Kristina Muhyee, Alaina Alberts, Chloe Sayler, Rylee Vessell, and Courtnie Thomas.

They are coached by Dakota Porter with Carolyn Dishburger, Kalei Lui, Madelyn Wettstein, Emilie Higgs, and Brandon Bales.

The Wildcats’ championship was the crowing achievement of a great season of volleyball across the county.

McIntosh played for the Class 5A championship, falling to Woodward Academy in five sets. After losing the first two sets and facing elimination, the Chiefs bounced back to win the third set and fourth set 25-22 in both. Unfortunately they could not find the magic again, dropping the decisive set to the War Eagles. The Chiefs finished the season with a 41-9 record and a region championship.

Starr’s Mill qualified for the quarterfinals in Class 4A. After winning in straight-sets in the first two rounds, they lost to Pace Academy in the Elite 8. The Panthers finished the year 29-14. 

Fayette County and Sandy Creek also made it to the postseason in Class 3A, with both falling in the opening round.