Volleyball playoffs continue in Lexington County this week as a few final teams remain in contention for a state title following the first two rounds of games.   

Following Monday’s second round, only River Bluff, Gray Collegiate and Batesburg-Leesville remained standing. All three won their region title, and all three earned a first-round bye. 

The Gators knocked off region rival Lexington on Monday, 3-0 to advance. This was the fourth meeting between the two local schools. After losing the first game in an early-season tournament, River Bluff went on to win each of the next three contests. 

Lexington made it to the second-round meeting by beating Rock Hill in round one, 3-1. With the loss, Lexington concludes its 2026 campaign 24-16 overall. 

River Bluff will be back on the court for the third round of games Wednesday after the Chronicle’s press deadline. The Gators are looking to make it back to the state title round after losing the championship game last season.   

To get there, they’ll have to go through the team that beat them for the trophy as the Gators travel to Dorman next. 

Top-seeded Gray Collegiate got its postseason run started with a 3-0 win over James Island. The War Eagles are having an impressive first foray in 5A, holding a 26-5 record so far. 

Gray earned a top seed in the playoffs after going undefeated in the region. MaxPreps has the team ranked as the sixth best in the state. 

The War Eagles will stay at home for the third round and play West Ashley for a spot in the semifinal. 

Should River Bluff and Gray both advance in the 5A playoffs, they would not meet until the championship round. 

Down in the lower classifications, Batesburg-Leesville is the final team still in the playoffs.   

The Panthers won their opening round game over the Palmetto Scholars 3-0. 

Batesburg-Leesville has had one of the most impressive runs in Lexington County this season. The Panthers are currently 22-11 this season and went 8-0 in region games, despite being a team full of underclassmen. 

The Panthers are hoping to advance in the postseason with a team that has zero seniors, two juniors and the rest are sophomores, freshmen, or younger. 

Even with their inexperience, Batesburg-Leesville has played with confidence and stacked wins down the stretch of the regular season. 

The team will play Ninety-Six in the third round.   

While they didn’t win, Chapin and Gilbert also played this week. 

The Eagles lost to Woodmont in the second round, 3-0, and Gilbert lost to Bishop England 3-0. 

Pelion, Airport and White Knoll’s seasons concluded last week in the first round. 

All three of the area’s boys volleyball teams also went out in the first round. 

In their first season of play, Lexington and River Bluff lost their first-round games to Dorman and Byrnes. Airport also lost its playoff game against Emerald. 

After the third round of games this week, competition really heats up as the state championship trophy will be within reach. 

The state semifinal round begins next week on Nov. 3. Championships will be held that weekend starting on Nov. 5. 

This week’s schedule 

Monday (Girls)

River Bluff: 3, Lexington: 0

Woodmont: 3, Chapin: 0

Gray Collegiate: 3, James Island:  0

Bishop England: 3, Gilbert: 0

Batesburg-Leesville: 3, Palmetto Scholars: 0

Wednesday (Girls)

River Bluff at Dorman - 5A Round 3

Gray Collegiate vs. West Ashley - 5A Round 3

Batesburg-Leesville vs. Ninety-Six - 1A Division I Round 3

Last week’s scores

Tuesday (Boys)

Byrnes: 3, River Bluff: 0

Dorman: 3, Lexington: 0

Emerald: 3, Airport: 0

Wednesday (Girls)

Chapin: 3, Byrnes: 1 

Lexington: 3, Rock Hill: 1 

Eastside: 3, White Knoll: 0

Hanahan: 3, Airport: 0

Saluda: 3, Pelion: 0