Columbia – The Wren High School Lady Golden Hurricanes were looking to become the
fourth team since 2013 to go back-to-back with state championship in AAA volleyball. They
rallied from a 1-0 set deficit against Camden to win the next three to win the match 3-1 and
join that select group on Saturday at the Dreher High School gymnasium.
“This feels amazing,” said Wren head coach Amy Godfrey. “Especially to be able to do this
twice with this group of girls. This group has been here three years in a row, so they have set a
standard for Wren volleyball for the future.”
“I’m so proud of my girls. We gave it all we had, and my girls played well. Wren is a good
team, and we could not stop their down-the-line hits,” said Camden head coach Paige Wilson.
Set 1 was a set of runs as each team built a lead only to have the other come back to tie or take
the lead. That ended when Camden’s Kaitlyn Clyburn served out the final two points of the set for
a 28-26 Camden win.
The Lady Bulldogs took the lead at 17-12 after Nicolette Connell scored three points on her
serve, and Aryanna Connell had a key block during the run. It would be something Aryanna
Connell did throughout the match.
Down 17-12, Wren’s Ashley Stein got her team right back in the match, scoring three points on
her serve to cut the lead to 18-15.
Wren appeared to gain control of the set when Rebekah VanArsdale scored three points on her
serve and the Lady Golden Hurricanes led 23 22. Then tied at 26, Clyburn closed out the set.
Set 2 was all Wren as the Lady Golden Hurricanes started to assert themselves. Wren’s Emma
Kate Garrison, Stein and Megan Bagrosky scored 11 points on their serves early in the
Set, and Wren cruised to a 25-12 win. Stein also had three kills in the set.
“We started to play our game in the second set. Camden is a hard team to prepare for because
they rotate so many players that it can get you off balance. I told my girls to just swing and relax
and play Wren volleyball,” Godfrey said.
Set 3 started out as if Wren was going to run away with it after Karson Haley, London
Faust and Alex Strating gave the Lady Golden Hurricanes an early 15-9 lead. Zoey Anderson
was a terror at the net, blocking shots and hammering home kill shots.
he Lady Bulldogs showed their mental toughness as Clyburn, Aryanna Connell and Mary
Elise Drakeford rallied to tie the match at 19. The state’s top girls basketball player and
Arguably the top senior in the country, Joyce Edwards, had three kills while Aryanna Connell
continued to block shots at the net.
The set was tied at 20 when Starting gave Wren the lead with three points on her serve as it
won 26-24.
Set 4 was all Wren after London Faust scored five points early in the set to give the Lady
Golden Hurricanes a 6-4 lead. Wren finished out the set to win 25-21 and start the celebration.
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