After making a clean sweep at the 2018 WVSSAC Class AA volleyball championships, Bridgeport High School returned to the 2019 state tournament, representing Region II. The Tribe defeated Point Pleasant in the first round, advancing to the state semifinals and facing Oak Glen. The Lady Indians fell in three straight sets to Oak Glen, the team that went on to win the state title.

 

But even without a state title, Coach Ali Burton said she and Assistant Coach Grant Burton are extremely proud of their athletes and their winning season, despite the fact that they faced several injuries which resulted in various position changes.

“We faced a tremendous amount of adversity this year. Many of our girls had to play in positions they had either never played or were very uncomfortable in at first, but you would have almost never known,” she said. “They did a great job, playing together and for one another no matter the situation. Despite numerous injuries, our state semi appearance was still a good one.”

 

Although the team didn’t get the end result they wanted, the Burtons – whose motto is ‘Everything happens for a reason’ – believe the 2019 season was valuable to their younger players as they faced one of the toughest AA schedules in the state.

 

“We gained experience for next year, competing in class AAA,” Burton said. “We are looking forward to it!”

 

Three of the team’s members named All-State will return to the 2020 team: Junior Shea Hefner named to first team; sophomore Violet Sickles named special honorable mention and junior Julia Griffith named to honorable mention. Senior Captain Payton Merica was named to the second team.

 

Of course, Payton's leadership and all-around play will be missed, but she has done a great job preparing the younger girls for the future of the program,” Burton said.

 

The same four athletes were named to the 2019 All-Conference team; Hefner, Merica and Sickles to first team and Griffith to second team. All-county honors also went to Hefner, Merica, Sickles and Griffith; all named to the first team. It was Hefner’s third consecutive year for the honor.

 

“While our entire team of girls contributed in some way to our State semifinal appearance and successful season, these four came out with honors again,” Burton said.

 

Hefner, hitter/defensive specialist, put down 424 kills, while also coming up with 300 digs and 85 aces despite missing 15 matches with injuries to both ankles. Merica, a senior hitter, put down 448 kills and had 66 blocks at the net, while also coming up with 180 digs. In addition, she served up 72 aces. Sickles was a major force in the middle at the net and was one of the top servers in the area. Griffith was a standout on the back row of Bridgeport’s staunch defense.

 

“With Hefner, Griffith, and Merica in the back row, it was tough to put a ball down,” Burton said. 

 

At the beginning of the season, Burton said individual and team goals were discussed.

The team goal, obviously, was to earn the team’s second state title, but the players’ individual goals were not to receive honors

 

“When they wrote down their individual goals, the majority of them indicated they wanted to improve certain skill sets to help better themselves for the team or to become a better leader to help younger players improve,” she said.

 

“It always makes Grant and I proud,” Burton said. “The girls realize that if they play together - as one - we have a greater chance of achieving our end goal, a state title. These ‘individual’ awards that come later are just a testament to the student athletes that we feel blessed to be able to coach!”

 

See photos of state action in Charleston, captured by Don Burton, in the gallery below. 

View Photo Gallery

BHS Volleyball at State Tournament