High school volleyball has wrapped up in Lexington County as the area’s final two teams went down in the state semifinal round. 

River Bluff and Gray Collegiate advanced through the 5A playoffs and were on a collision course to meet each other in the championship game before ultimately falling short. 

The Gators finished the regular season as the top seed from Lexington County’s five-team 5A conference. In the playoffs, the team got things started by beating region rival Lexington for a third time this season. 

In the next round, River Bluff got revenge from last season’s title loss, beating Dorman in a 3-2 thriller. But after that, the run came to an end as the Gators lost to eventual champions Woodmont 3-0. 

It was a disappointing end to an exciting year for River Bluff. The team was in a bit of a retooling phase after losing some key seniors from the 2025 team. 

After a shaky start, the Gators started rolling in region play to go 7-1 for first place. River Bluff caps its 2026 campaign with a 21-17 overall record. 

On the opposite side of the bracket, Gray Collegiate’s year came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Wando. 

The War Eagles were one of the most formidable teams in the state and were playing like it, leading up to their match in the Lower State championship. 

Gray went undefeated in region games to earn a top seed in the playoffs. The team won each of its first two playoff games against Charleston-area teams without dropping a single set. 

Wando had just too much firepower to overcome, and the score got flipped on Gray as the team lost three sets to none. 

With the season done and all the champions crowned, the state’s coaches released their selections for All-State teams, and seven local athletes made the cut. 

The War Eagles led the way with two selections, Peyton Capps and Sadie Williamson on the 5A team. 

River Bluff’s Karis Kettering, Lexington’s Rylee Nates and Chapin’s Ella Speight also made the 5A group. 

In the lower classifications, two athletes made an All-State team. Gilbert’s Gabby Esposito is a 3A selection, and Kate Shealy made the 1A team for Batesburg-Leesville. 

Below is a full list of all local All-State recipients and results from the end of the 2026 high school volleyball season. 

Last week’s scores

Woodmont: 3, River Bluff: 0- 5A Upper state championship

Wando: 3, Gray Collegiate: 0 - 5A Lower state championship

Lexington County All-State selections 

5A All-State 

Karis Kettering - River Bluff

Peyton Capps - Gray Collegiate

Sadie Williamson - Gray Collegiate

Rylee Nates - Lexington

Ella Speight - Chapin

3A All-State 

Gabby Esposito - Gilbert

1A All-State 

Kate Shealy - Batesburg-Leesville 

SCHSL volleyball state champions

5A champion - Woodmont High School 

4A champion - Lucy Beckham High School 

3A champion - Oceanside Collegiate

2A champion - Philip Simmons High School 

1A Division I champion - North Central High School 

1A Division II champion - Branchville High School