South Carolina high school volleyball playoffs are set to begin this week, and teams from Lexington County will be looking to play their best games and make a push for a state championship. 

One local favorite expected to make a deep run in the postseason is the Lexington Wildcat volleyball team. Lexington is one of the top teams in the county and earned a first-round bye after going undefeated in the region season. 

The Wildcats are looking to finally break through and win the program its first volleyball state championship after getting close the past two years. In 2022, Lexington advanced to the title match before losing to Mauldin, and last season, the Wildcats made it to the final eight but lost to state runner-up Wando. 

Lexington had a dominant regular season. The team finished the year with a 23-5 record and went 10-0 in region games. No team in the region came close to matching Lexington this season as the Wildcats dropped just two sets all year in region games. 

While success in the regular season is nice, the team knows the postseason is a different challenge. Last season the team also went undefeated in the region, but the playoffs did not go as planned. This year, the team has been focused on making amends. 

“They just want to get to a state championship, and that has been their goal the whole time,” head coach Erica Hardin said. 

It is Hardin’s first year as the Wildcats’ head coach. She was originally coming on as the JV coach before stepping into the varsity coaching position. She said the transition to the lead role was smooth thanks to her experience with the team in the spring. 

“That was nice to have that relationship time over the summer and the spring and really early on in our season,” Hardin said. “It was an adjustment for some, just with me implementing the way that I do things. Obviously, every coach has their own way of doing things, but we didn't have too many hiccups with that, and I would say the girls were very receptive and welcoming.” 

The team is very senior-heavy, so the players have a level of maturity that Hardin said is rare. They know their goal and are working hard to achieve it. 

“Our kind of motto has been ‘locked in,’” Hardin said. “When we go into those games, I don't want them to get caught up in the emotion and the hype of the heckling and the pressure that that game brings. I just want them to play their game, stay focused and stay locked in.”

Lexington’s success relies directly on those seniors' shoulders. Players such as Sydney Fischer, Jasia Brunson and Jazlyn Snow will be responsible for carrying the load in the upcoming postseason run. 

Fischer is the team’s lead setter and had an impressive regular season, recording over 500 assists. Brunson led the offensive attack and finished the regular season with over 200 kills. Snow impacts the game in multiple ways and finished with the most blocks on the team. 

Hardin said those three along with Ellison Watkins, Lily Kate Deyo and Emily Derienzo are some of the team’s most important players. 

“You take one of those out of the mix, we're not as successful as we have been,” she said. “I really think it rides on those six players.”

The Wildcats are proud of their accomplishments this season, but Hardin has made sure the team knows that playoffs are a whole new ball game. 

“It's back to the drawing board. It's back to a fresh start of a new season,” Hardin said. “What we've done or haven't done, doesn't matter. All that matters now is what we're going to do from here on out. That's really our focus and just staying locked in.” 

Lexington will have a tough route to the state championship. The Wildcats are in the upper state side of the bracket this year and could face other highly talented teams, including Dorman, Rock Hill and River Bluff. 

“Can't slack off in the least because the road to the state is going to be against the toughest teams in the state,” Hardin said. 

As the top seed from the 5A Region 4 conference, Lexington earned a bye through the first round of the playoffs. The team will start its postseason journey next week on Nov. 5 at home.